Eagles’ Ronald Darby To Miss Time
The 1-2 Eagles will try to fly without Ronald Darby for a little while. The cornerback suffered a hamstring injury on Sunday and is expected to miss at least a few games, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. Meanwhile, based on what Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter) is hearing, he wouldn’t be surprised if Darby misses “about a month or so.” 
The Eagles will need all of the defensive firepower they can get, particularly if their offensive woes continue. If they’re willing to get aggressive – and Howie Roseman usually is – there’s a cornerback by the name of Jalen Ramsey who is on the trade block.
Darby, 25, registered four interceptions across 17 games for the Eagles in 2017 and 2018. Before the injury bug bit him yet again, he added another INT to the resume in Week 2 against the Falcons.
Bills’ Harrison Phillips Done For Year
Bills defensive tackle Harrison Phillips is done for the year with a torn ACL, as ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano tweets. The Bills will place Phillips on IR, opening up another spot on the roster.
Phillips played 26 of 61 snaps against the Bengals on Sunday, but did not record an official statistic. In Week 2, he was credited with half a sack.
The Bills figure to see even more snaps out of Star Lotulelei and Jordan Phillips without H. Phillips around, and one of Kyle Peko or Vincent Taylor figure to be promoted from the taxi squad.
Antonio Brown Heads Back To School
Antonio Brown has enrolled in online classes with the hopes of earning his degree at Central Michigan University, per an announcement from the wide receiver. Brown previously spent three years at Central Michigan, but left before earning his degree. 
After Brown was alleged to have contacted his second accuser, the Patriots decided they were done with him. After that, Brown said he was done with the NFL. Effectively, this could be a spin on the old, “You can’t fire me, because I quit!” – it seems unlikely that Brown was going to find employment again in the NFL, at least in 2019.
Of course, things could always change if Brown has a change of heart and the ugly accusations against him are shown to have a lack of merit. For now, Brown intends to take four online courses: Introduction to Management, Technical Writing, Death and Dying (a religion course), and Racism and Equality (sociology).
Giants’ Saquon Barkley To Miss 4-8 Weeks
Giants running back Saquon Barkley could miss anywhere from 4-8 weeks, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Right now, the longer timeline is considered more likely, given the nature of his high ankle sprain and the timing of the Giants’ bye. 
The Giants will have off in Week 11, so the smarter play for the G-Men might be to give the young star a full two months to recuperate. In the interim, Wayne Gallman figures to take over as the team’s primary back. He’s not on Barkley’s level, but Gallman does have a career 4.0 yards per carry average to his credit. Gallman might also benefit from the additional running threat that new starter Daniel Jones provides.
Meanwhile, Barkley is intent on getting back on the field ASAP.
“I’m not out for the season,” Barkley said on Sunday. “I’m going to do whatever I can to get back as quickly as possible.”
Barkley, 22, averaged 5.0 yards per tote last year and also caught 91 passes for 721 yards. At minimum, he’ll miss contests against the Redskins, Vikings, Patriots, and Cardinals.
Colts’ Malik Hooker To Miss 4-6 Weeks
Colts safety Malik Hooker will be out for 4-6 weeks with a torn meniscus, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. For now, the club will turn to fourth-round rookie Khari Willis. 
It’s a tough blow to the Colts’ secondary, but they might be able to survive without him as they ride a two game winning streak. Regardless, his toughness will be missed – Hooker actually re-entered after suffering the injury against the Falcons and finished the game.
Next up for the Colts, sans Hooker – a Week 4 matchup against the Raiders in Indianapolis. After that, they’ll face the Chiefs, Texans, Broncos, Steelers, and Dolphins.
Hooker graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 14 overall safety last season, a marketed improvement from his seven-game rookie slate. So far this year, he has one interception and ten tackles through three games.
Panthers’ Cam Newton Won’t Play Vs. Texans
Cam Newton‘s absence will continue. On Monday head coach Ron Rivera announced that Newton will not be on the field when the Panthers face the Texans on Sunday. 
“We want him at 100% when he’s ready, so there’s no exact timetable for his return,” Rivera said.
Newton was unable to join the Panthers for Week Three against the Cardinals, but backup Kyle Allen was still able to guide them to victory over the Cardinals. The no-Newton decision was made late in the week, so its perhaps telling that Newton has been ruled out days in advance of the club’s Week Four matchup.
The Cardinals aren’t world beaters, but Allen certainly held his own by completing 19-of-26 passes for 261 yards and four scores. In a perfect world, the Panthers would love to have a healthy Newton starting under center, but this is not a perfect world, and Newton has not appeared to be fully healthy in quite some time.
Jaguars’ Jalen Ramsey Still Wants Trade
If you’re playing hookie from work today, you’re not alone. Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey says he will not practice today, or perhaps anytime this week, due to having the flu, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The Pro Bowler, he hears, still wants a trade, though the Jaguars still want to keep him. 
Things seemed to be trending in a positive direction late last week – Jags owner Shad Khan reportedly is willing to make Ramsey the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL and the team has made an effort to smooth things over with the soon-to-be 25-year-old. However, things haven’t changed on the other side of the table. Ramsey still wants to be elsewhere, even after helping his team to a Thursday night win over the Titans.
The Chiefs, some say, will make a strong push for Ramsey. They won’t be alone – nearly every team in the league wants to acquire the superstar defender.
NFL Won’t Stop Antonio Brown From Playing
The NFL won’t place embattled Antonio Brown on the Commissioner’s exempt list. At least, not while he’s a free agent. The NFL released the following statement regarding Brown on Friday night: 
[RELATED: Seahawks No Longer Interested In Brown]
“Antonio Brown was released today by the New England Patriots and is currently an unrestricted free agent. Our office is presently investigating multiple allegations, some of which are the subject of pending litigation. We have as yet made no findings regarding these issues. The investigation is ongoing and will be pursued vigorously and expeditiously.
As long as Mr. Brown is a free agent, placement on the Commissioner’s exempt list is not appropriate. If he is signed by a club, such placement may become appropriate at any time depending on the status of the investigation. Upon the conclusion of the investigation, he may also be subject to discipline if the investigation finds that he has violated the law or league policies.”
At this moment, it’s hard to see Brown landing another deal in 2019. But, for what it’s worth, agent Drew Rosenhaus seems to think his client isn’t far off from playing again.
“It’s unfortunate things didn’t work out with the Patriots,” Rosenhaus said in a statement. “But Antonio is healthy and is looking forward to his next opportunity in the NFL. He wants to play the game he loves and he hopes to play for another team soon.”
49ers Sign Sam Young
The 49ers signed tackle Sam Young to a one-year deal, per a club announcement. In a corresponding move, they have placed wide receiver Trent Taylor on injured reserve.
Young, 32, worked out for SF earlier this week. Prior to that, he also showed his stuff for his old squad, the Dolphins. The Niners, arguably, didn’t need to see Young audition this time around after having him in camp this summer. But, after checking his back, knees, tonsils, mobility, and whatever else, they’re happily welcoming him back.
Taylor, a fifth-round selection from Louisiana Tech in 2017, flashed potential as a rookie by logging 43 receptions for 430 yards. The Niners were hoping that he could make a return this season following August foot surgery, but that might not be in the cards at this point. At minimum, the Niners won’t be seeing him for another two months.
Agent: Antonio Brown “Hopes To Play For Another Team Soon”
Will Antonio Brown find another NFL deal soon after his Friday release from the Patriots? Agent Drew Rosenhaus seems to think so. 
“It’s unfortunate things didn’t work out with the Patriots,” agent Drew Rosenhaus said in a statement. “But Antonio is healthy and is looking forward to his next opportunity in the NFL. He wants to play the game he loves and he hopes to play for another team soon.”
For those of you just tuning in – Brown was cut by the Patriots following a new round of allegations from an artist who is accusing him of sexual assault (not to be confused with Brittany Taylor, the first known AB accuser). The artist – who is choosing to remain anonymous – says that Brown sent her intimidating text messages this week.
In turn, her lawyer shared screenshots of the text with reporters covering the NFL and the league office. The Patriots, less than 24 hours later, cut ties with the embattled wide receiver.
From a pure talent standpoint, the league’s 31 other teams would theoretically be interested in Brown now that he is a free agent. For obvious reasons, the Steelers and Raiders will not be suitors for him – that leaves 29. Now that Brown has been accused of four separate incidents of sexual assault by two different women, and made an apparent effort to dig up dirt on one of them, that number could very well be down to zero.