NFL Suspends Ravens’ Alex Collins
Free agent running back Alex Collins has been suspended for three games by the NFL, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). Meanwhile, Collins is also expected to receive medical clearance on his broken leg. 
The suspension stems from misdemeanor charges for possession of a handgun and possession of marijuana. Collins got his legal situation squared away in early October and, roughly four weeks later, the NFL has dropped the hammer.
Collins could represent a strong addition for teams in need of backfield help in the second half of the year. As Rapoport notes, several big-name running backs like Devonta Freeman and Le’Veon Bell were discussed at the trade deadline, but only Kenyan Drake was traded. That’s a clear signal that there’s a buyer’s market for experienced RBs, and Collins fits the bill.
Collins was never able to put it all together with the Ravens and off-the-field trouble also hampered him early in his career. But, his athleticism and age (25) suggests that there could still be some potential to unlock. Collins has started 22 games over the past two seasons and boasts a career average of 4.2 yards per carry.
Latest On Redskins’ Trent Williams
The Redskins informed Trent Williams‘ agent that the left tackle passed all parts of his physical, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. However, Williams said that he was in pain (due to his surgery) after trying to put on his helmet, which the Redskins are considering as part of the physical.
The Redskins are now on the clock with two weeks to find a helmet that doesn’t hurt Williams. If they can’t find a helmet that doesn’t cause pain by the time his roster exemption expires, and he refuses to play, the team will be forced to put him on the NFI (non-football injury) list, at which point they can decide whether or not to continue paying him. In either case, as Rapoport reports, his contract will not toll, meaning that he won’t be tethered to the Redskins beyond the 2020 season.
The Redskins did not move Williams before the 2019 deadline, but there are rumblings that they’ll try to trade him this offseason. Despite the Redskins’ lack of leverage in that scenario, Williams could still fetch a decent amount of draft capital: he’s among the better tackles in the game and he’ll have just one year left on his deal at $12.5MM.
Williams, a seven-time Pro Bowler, has missed 13 games over the last three seasons due to various injuries. He graded out as the league’s best overall tackle in 2016, according to Pro Football Focus, and still managed to place No. 21 in a relatively down 2018.
Latest On Josh Gordon
The Patriots waited until Thursday afternoon to release Josh Gordon from injured reserve, and that was a deliberate move, as Albert Breer of The MMQB tweets. After the trade deadline, all released players are subject to the waiver wire, regardless of their service time. That means that Gordon, one of the most skilled wide receivers in the NFL, wouldn’t get anywhere near the league’s contenders. 
It’s possible that Gordon could go unclaimed on the waiver wire, allowing him to sign with AFC contenders like the Ravens, but that seems unlikely at the moment. As Breer notes, if Gordon walks from a team as an unrestricted free agent in March, that club could receive a compensatory draft pick for virtually nothing. The Dolphins, for example, have paid over $10MM for additional fourth, fifth, and sixth-round picks, so a late draft pick at the cost of $1MM in remaining salary to Gordon would be a relative bargain.
With that in mind, here’s a look at the current Top 10 waiver priority in the NFL:
1. Dolphins: 0-7
2. Bengals: 0-8
3. Redskins: 1-7
4. Falcons: 1-7
5. Jets: 1-6
6. Giants: 2-6
7. Broncos: 2-6
8. Buccaneers: 2-6
9. Browns: 2-5
10. Chargers: 3-5
Patriots To Release Josh Gordon
The Patriots are releasing Josh Gordon from injured reserve, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Patriots feel that Gordon will not be healthy enough to play this season, but the wide receiver believes otherwise, so this move will give him the opportunity to hook on elsewhere. 
In Gordon’s estimation, he’ll be good to go sometime next week, or the week after. Because the move comes after Oct. 29, Gordon will be subject to the waiver wire. The league’s 31 other teams will have a crack at Gordon, and his contract, before he’s potentially able to hit the open market. Waiver priority, meanwhile, is determined by 2019 records.
By not releasing Gordon now, the Patriots may be banking on the talented pass catcher being claimed by a struggling team rather than one the defending Super Bowl champions will be competing with for this year’s title. Waiver priority is now sorted by teams’ 2019 records. The 0-8 Bengals will get the first shot at Flash, followed by the 0-7 Dolphins, and so on.
The former Browns All-Pro is dealing with two knee contusions, but his off-the-field trouble represents his biggest red flag for teams. On the other hand – he’s supremely talented and his contract has just $2MM salary attached.
So far this year, Gordon has 20 receptions for 287 yards and a touchdown.
Jets’ Blake Cashman Done For Year
Jets rookie linebacker Blake Cashman is done for the year with a shoulder injury, a source tells Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter). Cashman suffered the injury in practice on Thursday and the severity of the shoulder malady was instantly apparent to team doctors. 
[RELATED: Jets’ Jamal Adams On Trade Talk, Cowboys]
Cashman, a fifth-round pick out of Minnesota, slipped down the draft boards due to a history of shoulder trouble in college. This year, he got an opportunity to play while C.J. Mosley was out with a groin injury. Mosley still has at least five weeks to go before he can return, so the Jets are left especially thin in the LB group.
In other Jets news: safety Jamal Adams is fed up with the team after they discussed possible trades for him this week. The deadline is now in the rear view mirror, but Adams isn’t quite sure about whether he wants to roll with Gang Green beyond 2019.
Steelers’ Anthony Chickillo Removed From Commissioner’s Exempt List
Steelers linebacker Anthony Chickillo has been taken off the Exempt/Commissioner’s List by the league office, according to a statement from Steelers GM Kevin Colbert. With that, Chickillo will return to the Steelers’ 53-man roster.
“The league will continue to conduct an investigation of the incident, and we acknowledge that Anthony could still be subject to discipline by the League Office under the Personal Conduct Policy.”
Chickillo was charged with simple assault, criminal mischief, and harassment in October after an incident with his girlfriend. He’s no longer barred from playing after being removed from the exempt list, but a six-game ban could be in his future, if the NFL’s investigation finds him at fault.
Chickillo was originally drafted by the Steelers in the sixth-round of the 2015 draft. After playing out his rookie deal, he signed a two-year, $8MM deal to remain with the team this past March. Last season, Chickillo played around 28% of the team’s defensive snaps while also serving as a core special teamer.
Elliott has been on and off of the Steelers’ roster for the last couple of months. He’s out of work yet again, but history suggests that he might want to wait things out in the Pittsburgh area for a bit.
Darius Slay “Wouldn’t Mind” Staying With Lions
Lions cornerback Darius Slay says he “wouldn’t mind,” staying put, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes. This comes just after a long stretch of trade speculation surrounding the 28-year-old and a week full of rumors linking him to the Eagles. 
“I wouldn’t mind playing my whole career here,” Slay said. “Who wouldn’t want to just play on one team? But it’s a whole business. Can’t have your hopes up.”
Things haven’t necessarily been rosy between the Lions and Slay as of late. The cornerback was irate after the club traded starting safety Quandre Diggs to the Seahawks for a 2020 fifth-round draft pick, which likely prompted the Lions to start shopping him. During all of that, the Lions made an offer for Broncos star Chris Harris, who would have stepped in as his replacement.
When asked if he was hoping for a fresh start somewhere else, Slay expressed indifference:
“I don’t care,” he said. “I’m a millionaire, dude.”
Slay, who is midway through his seventh pro season, is under contract through 2020 under the four-year, $48MM deal he signed back in 2016. For now, he’s with the 3-3-1 Lions, but it’ll be a situation to monitor in the offseason.
Jets’ Jamal Adams On Trade Talk, Cowboys
The Jets passed on offers for Jamal Adams before the trade deadline, signaling a desire to keep one of the game’s best young safeties in the fold. After rejecting the Cowboys, Ravens, and others, the Jets will now have to focus on mending fences. 
In a Wednesday press conference with reporters, Adams said that he was “hurt” by the rumors. Then, he professed his love for the Cowboys.
Here’s a look at the highlights of Adams’ bizarre presser, via Brian Costello of the New York Post.
On the trade rumblings:
“When I heard that, my agent called me and told me what was going on, it definitely hurt me…I hold myself at a high level. The Rams don’t take calls on Aaron Donald. The Patriots don’t take calls on Tom Brady. That’s where I hold myself. When you feel like you’re on the same page and you have a meeting and you’re told something different, it sucks.”
On the Cowboys:
“I would love to go to (the Cowboys). I am born and raised in Dallas. … Michael Irvin is like my uncle.”
On whether he wants to remain with the Jets beyond this season:
“For the future, I don’t know. I really don’t. I thought I did, but I don’t know right now.”
“I have a lot of goals and aspirations and dreams here in New York. I was told something and it didn’t happen that way…For three years, I came here and I’ve done nothing but work my butt off, continue to improve, continue to be a great leader, continue to be a great teammate, and when you see certain things like that, you hear about it, you get calls, you’re in shock a little bit. At the end of the day, it’s a business. I get it. I understand it. I hold myself in a high regard and obviously they don’t feel that way.”
Redskins’ Trent Williams Fails Physical
Redskins tackle Trent Williams failed his physical, according to an announcement from the club. This means that Williams will not be able to play right away, despite having reported to the club on Tuesday. 
Williams experienced discomfort while putting on his helmet, coach Bill Callahan told reporters. This likely means that Williams got the all clear from team doctors, but felt that he was unable to take the field.
The Redskins, meanwhile, have obtained a roster exemption for Williams. This, on the surface, means that the team can wait a week or more before activating him. Effectively, it means at least two weeks on the sidelines for Williams, since the Redskins will be on their bye after facing the Bills on Sunday.
The bigger picture is this: The Redskins can hypothetically stall things with Williams for at least three weeks and make the argument that his 2019 season should not count, for contractual purposes. That would allow the Redskins to keep his rights through 2021, rather than 2020.
Williams, 31, skipped out on the entire preseason before sitting out the first eight regular season games. The Redskins considered trading him just before the Tuesday trade deadline, but ultimately stood pat.
Lions Audition DeShawn Shead
DeShawn Shead could be set to reunite with the Lions. On Wednesday, the cornerback worked out for Detroit’s coaches, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
Shead entered the league as a UDFA with the Seahawks back in 2012 and proceeded to make a big impact over a six year run. Shead started 21 games between 2015 and 2016, and was one of the few remaining members of the team that won Super Bowl XLVIII for the Seahawks. He became a starter toward the end of the 2015 campaign, and started 15 games in 2016. Unfortunately he suffered a torn ACL in the 2016 playoffs, which derailed his career.
He only appeared in two games in 2017 as he worked his way back from the injury, and was then cut after the season. He signed with Detroit, and appeared in 12 games for the Lions last season, making one start. He was placed on injured reserve in December, then signed back with the Seahawks in July.
The Lions have some familiarity with the veteran, which could lead to a deal this week.