Lions Place Desmond Trufant, Danny Shelton On IR
The Lions have placed cornerback Desmond Trufant and defensive tackle Danny Shelton on injured reserve, per a club announcement. With the season winding down and the Lions out of the playoff picture, this could mark the end of their seasons. 
The Lions picked up Trufant in March after he was released midway through his five-year, ~$69MM mega-deal with the Falcons. So far, he’s played in just six games under his more reasonable two-year, $21MM deal, which includes $14MM in guarantees. Last year, Trufant compiled four interceptions and seven passes defended despite being limited to only nine games. In 2020, he’s got one interception, four passes defended, and 20 total stops.
Shelton — who entered the league as the No. 12 pick in the 2015 draft — never lived up to his draft status, but he’s built a solid career as a run-stuffer. The 345-pound lineman played a key role with the Pats last year and found a home as the Lions starter this year. Unfortunately, after eleven starts, his season could be done thanks to a knee injury suffered against the Texans.
Down two defensive starters, the Lions will travel to Chicago this weekend to face the Bears.
Chargers’ Tyrod Taylor Won’t File Grievance
Chargers quarterback Tyrod Taylor has declined to file a grievance against the team or the team doctor who accidentally punctured his lung earlier this season, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The mishap sidelined Taylor in Week 2, opening the door for Justin Herbert to take over as the starting quarterback. 
At the time, head coach Anthony Lynn insisted that Taylor would get his job back once he was medically cleared. Then, when Herbert impressed, he stuck with the rookie and left Taylor on the bench. It’s especially unfortunate for Taylor since he will be eligible for free agency in the spring. But, fortunately, Taylor’s decision seems to indicate that he won’t have lasting damage as a result of the puncture. If he was at risk for a long-term problem, he would have had a good chance of winning a grievance against the other parties, because it would have impacted his future health and earnings.
The NFLPA will continue to look into the matter, according to Rapoport. And, to avoid similar situations for other players, the union is looking into changing protocols for how and when players can receive painkilling injections, as Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets.
The Chargers, with Herbert under center, will face the Patriots on Sunday afternoon.
Latest On Ravens’ COVID-19 Situation
Despite being eligible to come off of the COVID-19 reserve list, Ravens running backs Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins will not play today against the Steelers, according to NBC’s Michelle Tafoya (Twitter link via Andrew Perloff of The Dan Patrick Show). The Ravens will be well-set with Gus Edwards in the backfield, but they’ll still be severely shorthanded for their afternoon tilt. 
At least 12 Ravens players have tested positive for the coronavirus, including star quarterback Lamar Jackson. Safety Geno Stone was among the latest to test positive for COVID-19 — a troubling development since he was not previously categorized as a “high-risk close contact.”
As Jonas Shaffer of the Baltimore Sun notes, the Ravens will be conducting point-of-care tests prior to kickoff in order to screen any possible new cases. And, as Mike Garafolo of NFL.com notes (on Twitter), the NFLPA will be keeping a watchful eye on those results. The union is not opposed to the game being played today, but they may push back against the league if the spread continues.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/1/20
We’ll keep track of the NFL’s latest practice squad moves here:
Cleveland Browns
- Released: CB Stephen Denmark
Detroit Lions
- Signed: DT Kevin Strong
Indianapolis Colts
- Released: RB Darius Jackson
Minnesota Vikings
- Released: CB Marcus Sayles
New York Giants
- Released: WR Derrick Dillon, TE Nate Wieting
New York Jets
- Signed: RB Pete Guerriero
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released: Shareef Miller
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: K Matthew Wright
Washington Football Team
- Signed: QB Taylor Heinicke, T Rick Leonard, T Timon Parris
Browns Place S Ronnie Harrison On IR, Activate Myles Garrett
The Browns have activated defensive end Myles Garrett from the reserve/COVID-19 list. To make room on the roster, they’ve placed safety Ronnie Harrison Jr. on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. 
Garrett was leading the NFL in sacks up until he was placed on the reserve list in November. After missing the last two games, his 9.5 sacks are still good for a second-place tie with Saints DE Trey Hendrickson. Rams star Aaron Donald now leads the pack with ten sacks.
The Browns have managed to stay hot without Garrett, beating the Eagles and Jaguars over the last two weeks. Now, they’ll have him back on the field just in the nick of time for this week’s game against the 8-3 Titans.
Harrison, 23, has been first string for the Browns since Week 5. Unfortunately, he went down on the very first play against the Jaguars — his former team — and his MRI revealed a serious tear. It’s just the latest blow to a Browns secondary that has also lost safety Grant Delpit and cornerback Greedy Williams to injury. Despite it all, the Browns are 8-3 and on track to snap the NFL’s longest playoff drought.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Bears WR Allen Robinson
It’s safe to say that Allen Robinson isn’t a happy camper. Over the weekend, the Bears wide receiver liked a series of tweets from fans who encouraged him to skip town (Twitter link via Dov Kleiman). He’ll have the opportunity to leave Chicago in the spring when his contract expires, but it’s not a given that the market will meet his expectations. 
Earlier this year, we heard that Robinson saw himself as the top wide receiver in this year’s free agent class. That would mean a deal of at least $20MM per year, putting him in the neighborhood of Michael Thomas and Julio Jones who have much stronger resumes. Thomas’ camp would probably point to Keenan Allen and Amari Cooper — receivers who did not have the same credentials as Thomas or Jones, but still topped $20MM/year.
The Bears weren’t willing to go there when the two sides last spoke, but they also kept Robinson past the early November trade deadline. Since then, they’ve watched their playoff hopes dwindle. The Bears, riding a five-game losing streak, may wind up losing their star receiver for nothing but a compensatory pick.
The Bears’ quarterback situation hasn’t provided Robinson with the ideal platform, but he’s still been fairly productive from an individual standpoint. Last year, Robinson managed a solid 98 grabs for 1,147 yards — his best showing since his 2015 coming out party with the Jaguars. Through eleven games this year, he has a stat line of 71/829/5, bolstered by his latest outing against the Packers. Robinson’s 11.7 yards per catch average over the last two years doesn’t exactly jump off the page, but it’s evident that the talent is there, and Robinson has been largely healthy over that stretch.
But, even with the most favorable view possible, Robinson probably won’t be the kingpin of this WR class. Chris Godwin and Kenny Golladay are also on track to hit the open market — ditto for JuJu Smith-Schuster, who could probably be had for less than Robinson.
Given the strength of the WR class and uncertainty of the 2021 salary cap, it might behoove Robinson to smooth things out with the Bears. Or, at minimum, pretend to smooth out with the Bears, in order to fetch the best possible deal. If Robinson can keep the incumbent Bears involved, he could land somewhere near the $18MM/year mark like Tyreek Hill and Odell Beckham Jr. If he can’t, he might be looking at ~$16MM/year offers, similar to Cooper Kupp‘s recent Rams extension.
Ingram, Dobbins May Return Vs. Steelers
The Ravens’ roster has been decimated by a COVID-19 outbreak, but help may be on the way. Running backs J.K. Dobbins and Mark Ingram will not fly with the team to Pittsburgh today, but the expectation is that they will fly tomorrow, in time to suit up for the Wednesday game against the Steelers (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). 
[RELATED: Ravens-Steelers Moved To Wednesday]
The league’s COVID protocols mandate a 10-day isolation period, and today marks Day 10. Had the game taken place on Thursday night as originally planned, or postponed to Sunday afternoon or Tuesday night (tonight), they would have been ineligible. The third — and, hopefully, final — postponement of the game has given them an opportunity to face the Steelers.
The Ravens running backs learned of their positive tests on Nov. 23. A number of Ravens players, including star quarterback Lamar Jackson, tested positive for the coronavirus in the days that followed. The Ravens are still working with a half-strength offense, but the presence of Ingram and Dobbins should help.
Before the positive, Dobbins registered 5.3 yards per carry for Baltimore. Ingram, meanwhile, is itching to get back on the field — he’s played in just eight games so far, thanks to an October injury.
No team placed a player on the reserve/COVID-19 list Tuesday, and Mark Maske of the Washington Post tweets the Ravens’ string of positive coronavirus tests stopped at eight. The thrice-rescheduled Ravens-Steelers rematch is a go for Wednesday afternoon. While this will not be finalized until the AFC North teams receive test results Wednesday, the Ravens are scheduled to fly to Pittsburgh at 7:15pm ET.
NFL Suspends Texans’ Bradley Roby
Texans cornerback Bradley Roby has been suspended six games for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. This comes on the heels of the same violation/ban for teammate Will Fuller. The suspensions will keep both players out of action for the rest of the season, plus Week 1 of the 2021 season.
[RELATED: Texans’ Fuller Suspended For PEDs]
“I apologize to my family, my teammates, the Houston Texans organization and the fans,” Roby said in a statement. “A few months ago I unknowingly used a product that was contaminated with a banned substance by the NFL. I recognize that it is my job to know, and be responsible for, everything I put in my body. I will be suspended for six games, ending my season. I will take the necessary steps in the future to prevent this from ever happening again. I look forward to rejoining my teammates next season in our goal to bring a championship to Houston.”
In ten games (all starts), Roby notched 37 tackles, one interception, a fumble recovery, and seven passes defended. Even though he was briefly deactivated in November, the 28-year-old stood as the Texans’ best corner. With Gareon Conley out of the equation, the Texans will move forward with Vernon Hargreaves and Phillip Gaines as their top CBs.
After signing Roby to a three-year, $31.5MM deal in March, the Texans have Roby under contract through 2022.
NFL Cancels Ravens Practice
The NFL canceled the Ravens’ Monday morning practice, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Their game against the Steelers has been postponed twice and it’s far from certain that it’ll actually take place on Tuesday night.
The Ravens haven’t practiced in over a week due to their COVID-19 outbreak and they’re severely shorthanded. Sunday’s round of testing revealed multiple player and staff positives, marking eight straight days of unfortunate results. Wide receiver Willie Snead was among the latest, and star quarterback Lamar Jackson is out of the equation too. It’s worth noting that the Steelers have also had their fair share of COVID-19 issues. Over the weekend, the Steelers learned that they’ll be without special teams coordinator Danny Smith and quarterbacks coach Matt Canada.
Meanwhile, the Ravens players who are available for the game may have a tough time getting to the game. As of this writing, forecasts indicate that Pittsburgh could get up to six inches of snow. A third postponement of the game may prompt the NFL to reschedule the game all the way to a newly created “Week 18” or cancel it entirely.
Florida State CB Asante Samuel Jr. To Enter NFL Draft
Florida State cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. announced that he will opt out in order to focus on the 2021 NFL Draft. Samuel — the son of four-time Pro Bowler Asante Samuel — profiles as a potential early-round pick.
“The last three years at Florida State has had its ups and downs, but I will forever cherish the memories and relationships that I have created while I was here,” Samuel said in a statement. “When I committed to Florida State, I didn’t realize how much I would grow as a football player, and better yet, as a person. I’m thankful for my family, teammates, coaches, the athletic trainers, academic staff and fans for always guiding and supporting me throughout the years.”
Samuel leaves FSU with 97 stops, four interceptions, and 29 pass breakups across three seasons. He thrived on the whole, despite a down stretch for the Seminoles and a recent coaching staff overhaul. At 5’10”, he lacks the prototypical size for the cornerback position, but the same could be said of his dad who was only an inch taller.
The 2021 NFL Draft will be held from April 29 – May 1 in Cleveland.