Raiders’ Vontaze Burfict To Appeal Ban
As expected, Raiders linebacker Vontaze Burfict will appeal his season-long suspension, agent Lamont Smith tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). If Burfict cannot overturn the ban, he’ll be sidelined for the remaining 12 games of the 2019 season. 
The NFL moved to keep Burfict off the field for the final 13 weeks of the ’19 campaign after he drove his head into Jack Doyle‘s helmet on Sunday. This is, by far, the lengthiest suspension ever levied against a player for an on-field infraction, so Burfict may have a good chance at getting the suspension reduced.
Obviously, Burfict’s history of rules violations is playing a big role here. Burfict has racked up 14 fines and/or suspensions from the league office throughout his career, including three league office penalties in 2018. Throughout his career, Burfict’s tenacity has been a major double-edged sword and source of controversy. He’s been one of the league’s most feared defenders for all of the right, and all of the wrong, reasons.
Regardless of what happens in his appeal, Burfict figures to be on extremely thin ice with the NFL moving forward. It’s worth noting that the veteran will be eligible for free agency once again in March, after the expiration of his one-year, $2MM deal with Oakland.
Texans To Sign Mike Adams
The Texans will sign safety Mike Adams, according to Mike Florio of PFT (on Twitter). The veteran will now join the sixth team of his career in a quest to shore the Texans’ secondary. 
Adams has appeared in 222 NFL games to date, with his most recent contests coming with the Panthers. If he plays in two more games, he’ll knot John Lynch and Brian Dawkins for the next spot on the NFL’s all-time list for safeties.
Adams did not find a home in the offseason, but he beat the September buzzer to suit up for a 16th NFL campaign. He’ll have an opportunity to eclipse 1,000 career tackles (currently 946) and add to his resume of 30 interceptions and 13 forced fumbles.
For now, Adams looks to be a supporting option behind starters Justin Reid and Tashaun Gipson.
Raiders’ Vontaze Burfict Facing Season-Long Ban
Vontaze Burfict is facing a season-long suspension for his late-game hit on Colts tight end Jack Doyle, a source tells ESPN.com’s Chris Mortensen (on Twitter). Burfict has a history of player safety violations and the NFL appears poised to send a message.
“There were no mitigating circumstances on this play,” NFL V.P. of Football Operations Jon Runyan said in an open letter to Burfict. “Your contact was unnecessary, flagrant and should have been avoided. For your actions, you were penalized and disqualified from the game. Following each of your previous rule violations, you were warned by me and each of the jointly-appointed appeal officers that future violations would result in escalated accountability measures. However, you have continued to flagrantly abuse rules designed to protect yourself and your opponents from unnecessary risk. Your extensive history of rules violations is factored into this decision.”
A suspension was viewed as likely after Burfict’s ejection from the game, but a season-long ban was not necessarily expected. Burfict may fight the suspension, but he’s facing an uphill battle – in seven seasons, Burfict has earned 14 total fines and/or suspensions from the league office, including three times in 2018.
In Sunday’s game against the Colts, Burfict lowered his helmet and rammed it into the helmet of Doyle. It’s an awful look for Burfict, given his checkered past, and a not-so-great look for the Raiders, who made Burfict a captain this offseason.
If Burfict is indeed suspended for the length of the season, it would be the longest ban for an on-field act in league history, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The previous watermark is believed to belong to Albert Haynesworth, who drew a five-game suspension for stomping on the face of Cowboys center Andre Gurode.
Burfict, 29, has 628 tackles and 8.5 sacks to his credit over the course of seven seasons with the Bengals and 1/4 season with the Raiders. In the Raiders portion, he has tallied 18 total stops.
After beating the Colts 31-24, the Raiders are at the .500 mark as they head into Week 5 against the Bears. They’ll try to advance to 3-2 as they take the field, likely without Burfict.
Ravens Sign LB L.J. Fort
The Ravens have signed linebacker L.J. Fort, according to a club announcement. The team met with Fort on Saturday and inked him to a deal less than 24 hours after their poor defensive showing against the Browns. 
Fort spent 2015-2018 with the Steelers, so the Ravens are plenty familiar with what he has to offer. This year, he signed a three-year, $5.5MM deal with the Eagles, but he was displaced after Avonte Maddox‘s injury necessitated the signing of veteran Orlando Scandrick.
The Eagles were thought to be eyeing a quick reunion, but the Ravens have spoiled those plans. The Ravens placed ‘backer Otaro Alaka on IR on Saturday, so Fort will be brought in to fortify the LB group. With Alaka off the 53-man roster, the club will not have to make a corresponding move for his arrival.
Fort earned solid grades for his work with the Steelers, per PFF’s advanced metrics. He’ll be eligible to play against his former squad on Sunday when Baltimore travels to Pittsburgh.
A.J. Green To Miss More Games
The Bengals will have to wait a little bit longer to get A.J. Green back on the field. The Bengals’ star wide receiver will miss at least another two weeks as he recovers from his ankle injury, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com hears. 
The Bengals opted against placing Green on injured reserve this year, believing that he would be able to return sooner than the mandatory eight weeks. It sounds like Green can still beat the half-season timetable, though he might cut it close. The Bengals are already four weeks into the season and Green will not be able to take the field until Week 7, at the earliest.
There’s also this to consider – the Bengals have a Week 9 bye, so there might be wisdom in holding Green out for a bit longer. At minimum, Green will be absent for tonight’s game against the Steelers, next week against the Cardinals, and the following contest against the Ravens. After that, Green will be re-evaluated to find out whether he can play against the Jaguars on October 20.
Green may also want to take his personal football future and finances into consideration. The two sides were unable to reach agreement on a contract extension this offseason, meaning that he is still ticketed for free agency in March.
Green, one of the game’s most talented wide receivers, finished out 2018 with career low totals of 46 grabs for 694 yards. Without Green, the Bengals are 0-3 thus far in 2019.
Colts Promote WR Ashton Dulin
The Colts have elevated wide receiver Ashton Dulin from the practice squad, per a club announcement. The move comes after a week full of missed practices for T.Y. Hilton. 
Hilton continues to rebound from a quad injury that may keep him from facing the Raiders on Sunday. Enter Dulin, who will provide depth behind Zach Pascal, Deon Cain, Chester Rogers, and Parris Campbell.
Dulin, a Malone University product, gives the Colts five Division-II products on their roster. To make room for him, the Colts have waived cornerback Ryan Lewis.
Lions Work Out Running Backs
The Lions are on the lookout for help in the backfield. On Friday, they auditioned running backs Roc Thomas and Wes Hills, as Howard Balzer tweets.
Thomas just became eligible to return to the NFL. On Tuesday, the league reinstated him for a substance abuse violation stemming from his arrest earlier this year.
Last year, the Jacksonville State product was on and off of the Vikings’ roster. In his five games, he tallied ten carries for 51 yards.
Hills, meanwhile, was dropped by the Cardinals with an injury settlement in late August. If either back joins the Lions, they’ll join an RB group that includes Kerryon Johnson, Ty Johnson, J.D. McKissic, and recent arrival Paul Perkins.
Davante Adams Avoids Serious Injury
Packers wide receiver Davante Adams says he suffered a turf toe injury during Thursday night’s loss to the Eagles, as Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com tweets.
Adams’ MRI, however, did not reveal significant damage to his injured foot, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Packers are set to exercise caution here, but it looks like they escaped a major setback. Green Bay’s No. 1 wideout may miss time, but it likely will not be a lengthy absence. 
Adams grabbed his right foot after being taken to the ground by defensive back Andrew Sendejo in the fourth quarter. The 13-yard catch proved to be costly – Adams later said that he didn’t even want to try putting his shoe on after the game.
The Packers didn’t win, but Adams had one heck of a game as he caught ten passes for 180 yards for a new career high. So far in 2019, the wide receiver has 25 grabs for 378 yards, putting him on pace for another strong season. If he misses significant time, he probably won’t get to flirt with 2018 watermark of 111 catches and 1,386 yards.
Adams, in theory, could just play through the pain – that’s what Julio Jones did throughout 2016 and 2017. The Packers now have the next nine days off, perhaps pointing to the sixth-year receiver making it back in time for a pivotal Week 5 clash against the Cowboys.
PFR’s NFL Glossary: Waivers
Here at Pro Football Rumors, you’ll see a number of stories posted on players being cut, waived, or released by their NFL teams. While these terms are often used interchangeably, they’re not quite synonymous. A player who is “cut” has been removed from his team’s roster, but whether he is “waived” or “released” generally depends on his NFL experience.
Between the day after the Super Bowl and the following season’s trade deadline, players with less than four years of service time – or “accrued seasons” – have to pass through waivers after they’re cut by an NFL team. The other 31 clubs around the league have a day to place a waiver claim on that player, adding him to their roster and taking on his contract. That’s why we refer to these players as having been waived, rather than released.
If a player with more than four years of service time is cut between the Super Bowl and the trade deadline, he is not subjected to the waiver process, meaning he becomes a free agent immediately, able to sign with a new team right away if he so chooses.
This isn’t the case all year round, however. Once the trade deadline passes, any player who is cut by his team must pass through waivers, regardless of how many accrued seasons are on his résumé. So if a team cuts loose a 12-year veteran in Week 10 of the season, that player must pass through waivers unclaimed before he’d be free to sign with a team of his choice.
Here are a few more details on the waiver process:
- If two teams place a waiver claim on the same player, he is awarded to the team with the higher priority. Waiver priority is determined by the previous season’s standings — this year, for example, the Cardinals have first dibs, while the Super Bowl champion Patriots have 32nd priority.
- However, the waiver priority order will change starting in Week 4. At that point, waiver priority is determined by records of the current season.
- The window to claim a player closes at the end of the NFL’s business day, which is at 3:00pm central. So if a player is waived by one team on Monday, the other 31 clubs have until Tuesday afternoon to submit a claim. Players cut on Friday clear waivers (or are awarded to a new team) on the following Monday.
- Prior to the first cutdown date in training camp, injured players with fewer than four years of service time cannot be placed on injured reserve until they pass through waivers. Teams will cut this sort of player with a waived-injured designation, allowing other teams to place a claim if they so choose. If the player goes unclaimed, his team can place him on IR or agree to an injury settlement, then fully release him from the roster.
This is a PFR Glossary entry. Our glossary posts explain specific rules relating to free agency, trades, or other aspects of the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Dolphins’ Reshad Jones Wants To Stay
The Dolphins and Reshad Jones have had a rocky relationship in the past, but they seem to be on good terms now. The safety says he wants to stay put, even as other teammates are looking to get out of town. 
“I love my home,” Jones said (via Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald). “I’ve been here 10 years. It’s home for me. I love the guys in this locker room, love South Florida, want to see the Dolphins win football games. And I’m willing to do whatever it takes for us to win.”
In November, Jones pulled himself out of a game after just ten plays. He also clashed with Matt Burke and head coach Adam Gase for having him split time at safety, but the veteran appears to be happier under the new regime, led by Brian Flores.
Jones may also want to stay for fiscal reasons. The Dolphins are slated to pay him a $15.5MM salary if he’s on the team next year, but they can save $7.5MM against the cap by releasing him in the offseason.
Jones, who is set to return from an ankle injury that sidelined him for the last two games, says he has yet to have a sit down conversation with team brass about his desire to stay in Miami.
“I think they pretty much know,” he said. “If I wanted out, I had a chance to make that known. I’m here for the long haul, here to help this team win games.”