XFL Assigns QBs To Teams
The XFL draft gets underway on Tuesday, but the league’s eight teams already have their starting quarterbacks penciled in. Here’s the breakdown: 
- Cardale Jones – DC Defenders
- Landry Jones – Dallas Renegades
- Matt McGloin – New York Guardians
- Aaron Murray – Tampa Bay Vipers
- Luis Perez – L.A. Wildcats
- Jordan Ta’amu – St. Louis Battlehawks
- Brandon Silvers – Seattle Dragons
- Phillip Walker – Houston Roughnecks
[RELATED: XFL Projects $55K Salary For Players]
The rest of the 71-man rosters will be filled by the two-day draft, which will include the selection of other quarterbacks. Interestingly, Zach Mettenberger and Joe Callahan are in the draft pool, but were not in this initial group.
The XFL season will open on February 8, 2020, shortly after the Super Bowl.
Connor Barwin Announces Retirement
Connor Barwin is hanging ’em up. This week, the longtime NFL pass-rusher announced his retirement from the sport. 
“[On Tuesday], I turn 33 and after a decade of playing the greatest sport there is, I’m excited to say I’m moving on to the next chapter of my life,” Barwin wrote on social media. “To my coaches, teammates, fans, and family – thank you all! It was an honor to compete on Sundays for the last ten years. Houston, Philadelphia, LA, and New York – couldn’t have dreamed of a better journey. Thank you for the good times and all the support!”
Barwin enjoyed some of his best years with the Eagles from 2013-2016 and lobbied for a return late in the summer. That never came to fruition and Barwin is ready to move on to life after football.
Barwin’s very best season came in Philly in 2014 when he racked up 14.5 sacks, made the Pro Bowl, and earned second-team All-Pro honors. He signed a one-year deal with the Rams in 2017, and, although he had five sacks, his performance wasn’t well-regarded by the advanced metrics. Then, Barwin signed a two-year deal with the Giants before the 2018 season but didn’t make waves in New York, either.
While things didn’t necessarily end on a high note, Barwin leaves the game after an impressive total run. He notched 56.5 sacks across ten NFL seasons for the Texans, Eagles, Rams, and Giants, and that’s plenty to celebrate on his 33rd birthday.
Bengals’ Dre Kirkpatrick To Miss Time
Bengals cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick will miss amount a month with a hyperextended knee, sources tell NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The veteran may have a clearer picture after seeing a specialist on Tuesday, but it would be a shock if he plays in Week 7. 
Kirkpatrick was carted off the field during Sunday’s game against the Ravens. That marked the Bengals’ sixth loss of the year and they won’t have an easy time getting their first W against the Jaguars without one of their starting corners in action.
Kirkpatrick had an opportunity to leave in March of 2017, but the Bengals cuffed him with a five-year, $52MM deal. Kirkpatrick’s deal is something of a pay-as-you-go agreement from here on out, but the Bengals should have every reason to keep him, regardless of whether they enter a complete rebuild this offseason.
Last year, Kirkpatrick allowed just 44.4% of the targets thrown his way to be caught, good for the second-best rate in the league. That was good for second amongst all NFL cornerbacks with at least 400 coverage snaps.
Rams’ Joseph Noteboom Done For Year
Rams left guard Joseph Noteboom is done for the year, head coach Sean McVay announced. Unfortunately, team doctors didn’t need long to make a diagnosis after Noteboom tore his ACL and MCL. 
[RELATED: Rams To Place Aqib Talib On IR]
Noteboom, a third-round pick in the 2018 draft, appeared in every game for the Rams last year and started for them on the interior line in all six games this year. That includes every snap of the first five games, plus ten snaps on Sunday, before the fateful injury.
Losing him will be rough, particularly on the heels of losing Aqib Talib on the other side of the ball. The Rams started 3-0, but they’re in the midst of a three-game skid with losses to the Bucs, Seahawks, and 49ers.
Eagles Cut LB Zach Brown
The Eagles have released linebacker Zach Brown, according to a team press release. The Eagles D came up short against the Vikings – after Brown ran his mouth a bit – and, now, Brown is no longer part of the team.
Brown was released by the Redskins back in March and scooped up by the Birds soon after on a one-year, $3MM deal. Unfortunately for him, he only got to see his old team once this year – the Eagles’ second showdown with the Redskins won’t take place until December.
Brown was supposed to help replace inside linebacker Jordan Hicks this year, but didn’t meet the Eagles’ expectations. The 29-year-old started in all six games before his release and registered 29 tackles in total.
Brown received extremely high grades from Pro Football Focus last year, grading out as their third best linebacker overall behind only Bobby Wagner and Luke Kuechly. It stands to reason that he won’t be out of work for long, though, as this past offseason taught us, he probably won’t secure the bag.
Sprained Ankle For Jaguars’ Marqise Lee
Jaguars wide receiver Marqise Lee has a sprained ankle, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The sprain is viewed as a minor/moderate one, so he’s considered week-to-week, but still likely to miss some time.
Lee, who turns 28 late in November, missed the Jaguars’ disappointing 2018 season with a knee injury. The Jags’ 2016 receiving leader and a key cog in 2017, Lee has not factored in prominently in this Jags receiving corps. In five games this year, he’s caught just two passes for 10 yards.
Lee, 27, was not expected to return until at least late in training camp, so the former second-round pick being a Week 1 question mark is not especially surprising. It is a bit of a blow to a Jags pass-catching corps that already faces questions, however.
The Jags drafted Jawaan Taylor in Round 2, but their optimal lineup would place the Florida alum at right tackle opposite Robinson. The team signed former Bengals first-rounder Cedric Ogbuehi and ex-Bucs UDFA Leonard Wester this offseason.
Between 2016 and 2017, Lee racked up 119 receptions for 1,553 yards and six touchdowns. In 2018, the Jaguars rewarded Lee with a four-year deal worth up to $38MM. They’re still waiting for that deal to pay off as they look to get their season back on track. Heading into Sunday’s game against the Bengals, the Jaguars are sporting a 2-4 mark.
Bradley Roby Suffers Hamstring Injury
Texans starting cornerback Bradley Roby suffered a “significant” hamstring injury on Sunday, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Right now, he’s expected to miss roughly a month of action, though things could be aided by the Week 10 bye. 
Fellow Texans cornerback Johnathan Joseph is already sidelined with a hamstring issue, so this would be a huge blow to the Houston secondary. Roby has been a bright spot on Houston’s defense this year, so they’ll want him back on the field as soon as possible to keep the momentum going.
Roby inked a one-year, $10MM contract with Houston in March. For Roby, it was an opportunity to earn a more significant payday in the 2020 offseason. For the Texans, it was an opportunity to add a quality corner on a short-term deal, albeit one that struggled in a step up from nickel man to full-time player in 2018. Roby, 27, bet on himself in a big way – the Steelers were willing to give him $30MM over three years, but he turned them down.
The Texans topped the Chiefs 31-24 in Kansas City yesterday, bringing them to 4-2 on the season. Next, they’ll travel to Indy to face the Colts.
Patriots To Re-Sign Ben Watson
The Patriots are set to bring back tight end Ben Watson, a source tells ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). Watson was cut just last week, but he’ll return in the wake of injuries to tight end Matt LaCosse and fullback Jakob Johnson. 
Watson, 38, is still looking to make his 2019 season debut. He flirted with retirement before he signed with the Pats – then, he was slapped with a suspension for the first month of the year. Then, he got cut just before he was eligible to play.
Watson started his career in 2004 as a first-round pick of the Patriots. He been a key player in many offenses throughout his career, but he took on more of a backup role in 2018 with the Saints. Even as a secondary type in New Orleans, he still finished with 35 receptions for 400 yards and two touchdowns.
Giants To Re-Sign Bennie Fowler
Bennie and the Giants. On Monday, the G-Men re-signed wide receiver Bennie Fowler, bringing him back to the Meadowlands after a short hiatus (Twitter link via Pat Leonard of the Daily News). To make room, the Giants dropped linebacker Nathan Stupar. 
Fowler was dropped recently after posting 12 catches for 99 yards through four games. The move helped them clear a spot for the return of Golden Tate, but they need Fowler back in their lives as receiver Sterling Shepard and tight end Evan Engram remain banged up.
The Giants are familiar with Fowler – he spent the 2018 season with the club, though he had just 16 grabs for 199 yards and one touchdown through ten games, mostly as a role player. Before that, Fowler spent four years in Denver.
The Giants fell to the Patriots on Thursday night, dropping them to 2-4 on the season. They’ll look to get things back on track this Sunday, when they face the Cardinals at Metlife Stadium.
Broncos GM: No One On Trade Block
According to multiple reports, the Broncos are ready to deal before the trade deadline. According to GM John Elway, there are no players being shopped. 
“You guys bring all those names up. I have not brought any names up. We’re trying to win football games over here. So, no one from our side is in the trading block. ” Elway said (Twitter link via Troy Renck of Denver 7). “We’re going to try to win football games.”
Among the names brought up in recent days: star linebacker Von Miller, cornerback Chris Harris, defensive tackle Derek Wolfe, and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders. With less than three weeks to go before the deadline, and a 1-4 record, Elway’s denial might not too much to stop the speculation.
Miller is reportedly open to a change of scenery and all of his major bonuses and guarantees have already been paid, so he would be a logical trade chip. Still, last we heard, the Broncos are not interested in parting ways with him, and Elway says the same.
The Broncos will face the Titans, Chiefs, and Colts before the trade deadline on Tuesday, October 29. If Elway is to be believed, the roster will be largely the same heading into the following game against the Browns.