Patriots Withhold Antonio Brown’s Money
A $5MM installment on Antonio Brown‘s $9MM signing bonus was due on Monday. The Patriots, as many anticipated, declined to pay that $5MM, Mike Florio of PFT hears. 
It’s likely that a nasty showdown involving Brown, agent Drew Rosenhaus, and the NFLPA will ensue. Per the terms of the league’s collective bargaining agreement, Brown did not commit a “forfeitable breach” – though Florio ponders that the Patriots could argue that Brown was not forthright about the sexual assault allegations levied against him. In this scenario, the Patriots would assert that they would not have signed Brown in the first place, had they known about the claims.
On an interesting note – Florio writes that there is no downside for the Patriots in refusing to pay the embattled wide receiver. The worst case scenario, as he understands it, would be that the Patriots are forced to pay out the signing bonus at the behest of an arbitrator.
Dolphins To Release Tank Carradine
The Tank is no longer part of the plan in Miami. Tank Carradine, that is.
On Tuesday, the Dolphins released the defensive end, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (on Twitter). Carradine was a healthy scratch on Sunday against the Cowboys, so the news does not come as a major shock.
The Dolphins, Jackson hears, have been thinking about adding a wide receiver or offensive lineman to the roster, since they are looking thin at both positions. A corresponding move could come shortly, to give a new player time to prepare for Sunday’s game against the Chargers.
Carradine was part of the Dolphins’ final cuts back in August, but was re-signed on September 12. The former 2013 second-round draft pick has yet to live up to his draft status, but should be able to hook on somewhere else this year. For his career, Carradine has 80 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and one forced fumble in 46 career games.
Falcons To Meet With Iloka, McDonald
The Falcons will meet with George Iloka and T.J. McDonald for visits on Tuesday, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network tweets. One, or both players, could help solidify the Falcons’ secondary in the wake of Keanu Neal‘s season-ending Achilles tear.
Iloka, who spent 2018 with the Vikings, missed the Cowboys’ final cut. The Cowboys guaranteed the 29-year-old $210K before his release, so he walked away with some spending cash. Since entering the NFL as a Bengals fifth-rounder in 2012, Iloka has started in 79 games.
McDonald, meanwhile, spent the previous two seasons with the Dolphins. Being out of work is not ideal, but on the plus side, he’s no longer with the Dolphins.
The Colts, who will be without Malik Hooker for a while, will begin their safety search by meeting with Marcus Gilchrist.
Latest On Panthers’ Cam Newton
Panthers quarterback Cam Newton is believed to be dealing with a Lisfranc injury, Joe Person of The Athletic tweets. Newton is hoping to avoid surgery, but at minimum, he’ll probably be out for a while. 
For now, it will remain Kyle Allen‘s show under center. The young QB led the Panthers to victory over the Cardinals on Monday – so far, so good.
The 23-year-old Allen completed 19-of-26 passes for 261 yards and four touchdowns against Arizona, which was a solid performance against an admittedly flawed team. The Cardinals’ issues aside, Allen looked a lot sharper than the banged-up Newton has as of late.
In his two games, Newton did score a single touchdown and completed only 49% of his passes in Week 2. According to Pro Football Focus, 34% of his passes were “uncatchable.”
Vikings Sign Laquon Treadwell
Laquon Treadwell has come back to where it all started. On Tuesday, the Vikings signed their former first-round pick to a new contract. 
The Vikings cut Treadwell in late August, bringing an unceremonious end to a run that started with tons of hype. The Vikings never got much out of Treadwell after selecting him with the No. 23 overall choice, but they’re willing to see what he can offer in the wake of Chad Beebe‘s injury.
Treadwell might not be destined for stardom, but he’s familiar enough with the Vikings’ offense to give them a reliable fourth receiver this weekend. Meanwhile, they’ll hope for the best with Beebe, who figures to be out for a while with torn ankle ligaments. Beebe serves as the Vikes’ No. 3 wide receiver and punt returner, so others will have to step up in his absence.
Colts To Audition Marcus Gilchrist
The Colts will work out free agent safety Marcus Gilchrist on Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. Gilchrist could help the Colts fill the void as starter Malik Hooker undergoes a meniscus trim. 
For now, the club will turn to fourth-round rookie Khari Willis as Hooker’s replacement. Of course, they’ll still need reinforcements on the depth chart, and a veteran like Gilchrist could fit the bill.
In March of 2018, Gilchrist joined the Raiders on a one-year, $4MM with $3.85MM guaranteed. This time around, Gilchrist was unable to find a home before the season opener.
The Colts, in all likelihood, will audition other veteran safeties besides Gilchrist. Other free agents of note include Eric Berry, George Iloka, and T.J. McDonald.
Jets’ Sam Darnold To Return Week 5?
Jets quarterback Sam Darnold is “trending in the direction” to return to the field in Week 5, head coach Adam Gase announced. The only question, perhaps, is whether the Jets’ season will still be salvageable by the time he recovers from his bout of mono. 
[RELATED: Jets Doubt Trumaine Johnson’s Commitment]
The Jets, now 0-3, will have a bye week before taking on the Eagles, who are presently 1-2, in Week 5. For now, Luke Falk will run the offense in practice.
The Jets were, predictably, outclassed by the Patriots on Sunday. Still, Gase did not place the blame on the shoulders of Falk, so he’s a good bet to stay on the roster, even if Darnold is strong enough to lift a pencil or football.
Patriots Place James Develin On IR
James Develin‘s season could be over. On Monday, the Pats placed the fullback on injured reserve. 
[RELATED: Antonio Brown To Go Back To College]
Develin suffered a neck injury, which may end his year after just 58 offensive snaps through two games. Jakob Johnson was called up from the practice squad prior to Sunday’s win over the Jets, so he figures to pick up some of the workload moving forward.
Per league rules, teams can only bring two players back from IR. Already, the Patriots have tackle Isaiah Wynn and N’Keal Harry parked off of the 53-man roster, so the odds aren’t necessarily in Develin’s favor.
Develin signed his first NFL contract with the Bengals, but he has played all of his NFL downs with the Patriots. Save for the 2015 season he lost to injury, Develin appeared in every regular season game for the Pats between 2013 and 2018. In 2017, he earned his first career Pro Bowl nomination. In 2018, he inked a two-year contract extension, taking him through the 2020 season.
Seahawks Cut Jachai Polite
The Jets took a lot of heat for cutting third-round rookie Jachai Polite before the start of the season. They’re not looking quite as foolish now. On Monday, the Seahawks released the pass rusher from the practice squad. 
Polite, who racked up eleven sacks during his final season at the University of Florida, went unclaimed after the Jets cut him in late August. His natural ability is undeniable, but his overall maturity has been questioned. It’s possible that his penchant for tardiness reared itself again in Seattle, pushing him out of the picture.
Polite’s rudeness resulted in $100K in fines during his short time with the Jets. Despite all the hiccups, it stands to reason that he’ll get another taxi squad opportunity soon.
Cardinals Release Michael Crabtree
The on-again, off-again saga between the Cardinals and Michael Crabtree is off. Again. On Monday, the Cardinals announced the release of the veteran wide receiver. 
Crabtree’s run in red lasted just three games and two appearances (he was inactive Week 1 against the Lions). Initially, he was set to be a veteran security blanket for Kyler Murray, but he never synced with the offense. Meanwhile, Damiere Byrd and KeeSean Johnson have stepped up their respective games.
The Cardinals can probably stand pat at WR since they had seven receivers active for their loss against the Panthers. Still, they’ll lose out on some cash here as Crabtree’s $500K signing bonus and $1.75MM salary were both locked in.
Crabtree, 32, posted just 54 receptions off of 100 targets with Baltimore last year. He’s still looking to reprise his best work from previous years, including his 1,000-yard season with the Raiders in 2016.