Browns G Joel Bitonio Done For Season
Browns guard Joel Bitonio had surgery on Monday to repair the Lisfrance injury in his right foot, ESPN.com’s Pat McManamon tweets. The surgery rules Bitonio out for the 2016 season but he should be able to take part in all of the team’s offseason work prior to the 2017 season. 
Bitonio was placed formally placed on IR last week. A late-season return was on the table thanks to the new IR rules, but it’s not possible now after the offensive lineman went under the knife. Of course, when your team is winless through six games, there’s not much incentive to rush back and risk further injury.
In other Browns news, safety Jordan Poyer has been placed on IR, per a team announcement. Taking his place will be fellow safety Ed Reynolds who was promoted from the practice squad. Poyer suffered a lacerated kidney against the Titans on Sunday and had to be transported to a hospital before halftime. Through six games, Poyer recorded 37 tackles, matching his career high set in 2015.
Packers Acquire RB Knile Davis From Chiefs
The Chiefs have traded running back Knile Davis to the Packers, a source tells Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter). In exchange for Davis, the Chiefs will receive a conditional seventh-round pick in 2018, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link). The two sides have since confirmed the deal via press release.
The Packers need some help at running back after No. 2 RB James Starks had knee surgery. Making matters worse, starter Eddie Lacy is playing through an ankle injury of his own. Green Bay promoted UDFA Don Jackson from the practice squad yesterday, but they also wanted a running back with NFL experience on the depth chart. Davis fell out of favor in KC, but it wasn’t long ago that he was the primary backup to Jamaal Charles. Starks will likely be out “about four weeks” after going under the knife and Davis should help to hold down the fort until then.
Davis has been seeking a trade for some time now and he finally got one today. The Chiefs now have Charles back in the lineup and his return bumped Davis all the way down to No. 4 on the running back depth chart. With no real need for Davis, KC decided to get something of value instead of stashing the young tailback behind Charles, Spencer Ware, and Charcandrick West. All three players recently signed extensions with the Chiefs while Davis was left on his old contract.
Last season, Davis’ main contribution came in the Wild Card playoffs when he opened up the contest against the Texans with a 106-yard kick return touchdown. In the regular season, Davis had just 28 total carries for 72 yards and one score. From 2013-2015, the former third-round pick carried the ball 232 times for 777 yards, good for a 3.3 yards-per-carry average. This year, he had just one carry for a loss of two yards.
Extra Points: Osweiler, Colts, Fins, Cards, Vikes
Texans head coach Bill O’Brien denied a recent report that tension had emerged between himself and quarterback Brock Osweiler, calling it the “biggest non-story of the year,” according to Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com. “Anybody that’s been around me knows that I really only know one way to go about it,” O’Brien said. “That’s to work very hard and to do it in a very intense environment. I think that’s the type of players we have. So when you’re coaching football and playing football, and you’re in a competitive environment where everyone is pulling the same rope and everybody is trying to do their very best to win the game, things are going to happen.”
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- After leaving last night’s game against Houston, an MRI revealed that Colts tight end Dwayne Allen has a sprained ankle and is now week-to-week, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). As Rapoport notes, that designation likely means that Allen is set to be sidelined for at least some time. Jack Doyle and Erik Swoope will hold down the fort at tight end until Allen can return.
- When the 49ers restructured Colin Kaepernick‘s deal, they got rid of the embattled quarterback’s injury guarantees so that he could return to the field without the club worrying about being tied to him for the long haul. The Dolphins and Cardinals should think similarly about their quarterbacks, opines Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, as both Ryan Tannehill and Carson Palmer have hefty injury guarantees for the 2017 campaign.
- Linebacker J.R. Tavai is working out for the Broncos today, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Tavai, 23, spent several months on the Titans’ practice squad last season, and even made it onto the active roster for a few weeks. However, the 2015 UDFA was waived during final cutdowns earlier this year.
- Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer wasn’t clear on the future of offensive lineman Isame Faciane, who is facing three misdemeanors after being arrested for DUI earlier this month, tweets Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. For what it’s worth, Zimmer did say that Faciane’s arrest “was not very bright.” Faciane has been a member of the Vikings’ practice squad since 2014.
Jaguars Work Out RB David Cobb
Running back David Cobb worked out for the Jaguars today, according to a league source who spoke with ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). Cobb’s short stay with the Steelers’ practice squad ended last week when he was cut. 
[RELATED: Jets Sign CB Nick Marshall Off Jags’ Practice Squad]
Cobb, 23, was a fifth-round pick of the Titans the 2015 draft. The ex-Minnesota Golden Gopher picked up 146 yards on 52 carries, good for a paltry 2.7 YPC, in seven games as a rookie. That output was disappointing to the Titans who saw him as a late-round steal. This offseason, he was cut by Titans GM Jon Robinson as the new regime cleaned house.
Now the Jaguars are kicking the tires on the young running back. Jacksonville expected to have a much-improved running situation this year after signing the high-priced Chris Ivory but he has not impressed since coming back from his mysterious illness earlier this year. T.J. Yeldon impressed at times as a rookie last year, but he is averaging just 3.3 yards per carry through five games this season. The Jags also have Auburn product Corey Grant and converted quarterback Denard Robinson on the RB depth chart.
Broncos Claim OL Billy Turner
Billy Turner has a new team once again. The Broncos have claimed the veteran offensive lineman off waivers from the Ravens, as Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. 
The Dolphins waived the soon-to-be 25-year-old last Tuesday after failing to find a trade for him. The Ravens picked him up, but they subsequently waived him over the weekend so that they could promote an inside linebacker off of the practice squad.
A 2014 third-round pick, Turner made 20 appearances and 14 starts during two-plus years with the Dolphins. Through five games and two starts this season, Pro Football Focus rated Turner as the second-worst tackle in the NFL among 76 qualifiers. He earned a poor overall grade of 31.8 in 63 pass block snaps and 34 run block snaps.
Turner did not get to take the field for the Ravens but he hopes to break in his new uniform on Monday night when the Broncos face the Texans at home.
Dolphins’ Reshad Jones Done For Season?
Reshad Jones‘ season could already be over. The Dolphins fear that the safety tore his rotator cuff, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Jones is currently undergoing tests to determine the severity of his injury. 
Jones was instrumental in the Dolphins’ surprising 30-15 win over the Steelers on Sunday. If the Dolphins lose the best player in their secondary for the season, it’s hard to see them building momentum off of that win and turning their season around.
Jones, 28, has 51 total tackles, four passes defensed, one interception, and even half a sack through six games this season. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus have him ranked as the third-best safety in the NFL so far this year with a strong 88.5 overall grade. Miami has been leaning on him heavily as evidenced by his 437 total snaps this season.
The 2-4 Dolphins take on the red hot Bills next week.
Dion Jordan Has Additional Knee Procedure
Dion Jordan can technically return to the Dolphins after starting the season on the non-football injury list, but it sounds like it will be a while before we see him back on the field. Jordan had a second knee procedure a few weeks back, according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (on Twitter). 
[RELATED: Dolphins’ Cameron Wake Won’t Request Trade]
Jordan, a former No. 3 overall pick in the draft, was conditionally reinstated by the league over the summer and the Dolphins were curious to see what he could bring to the table after missing the entire 2015 season. As it turns out, Jordan had a knee operation while he was waiting in limbo with the league office and didn’t notify the Dolphins. Now, he’s had a second surgery and it’s not clear if he will be able to play at all this year.
Through 26 games in 2013 and 2014, Jordan registered only 46 tackles and three sacks. It remains to be seen when he’ll record his next official statistic.
Latest On Ben Roethlisberger
The Steelers released a statement moments ago confirming that Ben Roethlisberger underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. The team does not yet have a timetable for his return, but they are “confident this injury is not long-term.” 
Big Ben gave fans a big scare on Sunday when he went down with a knee injury early on against the Dolphins. Even though he returned to action in that game, he’ll need some time to recover before he can play again. While Roethlisberger is out, the Steelers will turn to Landry Jones as their starter. The Steelers went 1-1 in Jones’ two starts last season and they’re hoping that they’ll be able to get by for however long No. 7 is out.
Roethlisberger has thrown for 1,685 yards and a league-leading 16 touchdowns this season.
Texans CB Kevin Johnson Suffers Broken Foot
Texans cornerback Kevin Johnson broke his foot in last night’s win over the Colts, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Johnson suffered the break in the same foot that was surgically repaired in the offseason. We should know more about Johnson’s fracture and the resulting timetable for recovery later today, but it’s safe to assume that he’ll be out for an extended period of time and he could be done for the season. 
Johnson got the start last night as Kareem Jackson missed his second straight game with a hamstring injury. Before he was forced to exit the game, the 24-year-old was doing a solid job against Colts speedster Phillip Dorsett. Now, the Texans could be in trouble if Johnson is sidelined and Jackson is not available for Week 7.
Houston promoted cornerback Robert Nelson for last night’s game and they may now look to add another cornerback to play alongside Johnathan Joseph, A.J. Bouye, and Charles James. Joseph did suffer a forearm injury, but the team believes he’ll be ready to go next Monday night against the Broncos, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Texans S K.J. Dillon Suffers Torn ACL
Texans safety K.J. Dillon has suffered a torn ACL, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). The rookie’s season is over thanks to the injury and he will be placed on injured reserve shortly. 
Dillion, a fifth-round pick, first broke out as a junior at West Virginia. In 2014, he totaled 57 tackles, 7.5 tackles for a loss, and two interceptions. He followed that up with 54 tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss, and two more interceptions as a senior. The Texans were using Dillion in a reserve role and giving him some time on special teams this year. In five games on the active roster, Dillion wound up with just two total tackles.
In other Texans news, there is reportedly some tension between head coach Bill O’Brien and starting quarterback Brock Osweiler. Of course, after last night’s comeback victory over the Colts, everything might just work itself out in Houston.