DeSean Jackson Wants To Leave Bucs
Wide receiver DeSean Jackson has expressed a preference to move on from the Buccaneers after this season, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets. This is consistent with what we’ve heard over the last couple of months even though the team has denied the existence of a rift. 
Jackson made waves in October when he requested a pre-deadline trade. Since then, he’s publicly walked back his stance, but things haven’t changed much.
Anderson hears that issues started to “fester” after an argument between the veteran and head coach Dirk Koetter when he sat out of practice due to a thumb injury. He ultimately played in that game, but other maladies, including his recent Achilles issue, have eaten up chunks of his season.
Jackson clicked with Ryan Fitzpatrick, but he has been less successful on the other end of Jameis Winston‘s throws. In any event, Jackson thinks he’ll do better if he’s playing elsewhere.
The Bucs have Jackson signed through next year at a cap number of $10MM, but there is no guaranteed cash remaining on his deal. With a league-leading 18.9 yards per reception, Jackson will certainly have suitors after him in March.
Redskins Place Reed, McCoy On IR
On Thursday, the Redskins placed quarterback Colt McCoy and tight end Jordan Reed on injured reserve. To take their places, they added defensive end Marcus Smith and defensive back Alex Carter. 
[RELATED: Cardinals Claim D.J. Swearinger]
The playoffs are out of reach for the Redskins, so there was little sense in jeopardizing the health of two key players for Sunday’s wrap-up game against the Eagles. Reed, who has missed the last couple of games with foot and ankle injuries, did not practice this week, so his IR placement does not come as a surprise. McCoy, meanwhile, was pushing to play roughly four weeks after suffering a broken fibula, but the club will now allow him to put himself in harm’s way for little gain.
Smith had a cup of coffee with the Redskins earlier this month and they may be curious to see what he can do in the final game of the season. At minimum, he’ll be an extra body over the next couple days of practice.
Dolphins Likely To Move On From Ryan Tannehill
Miami seems ready to end the Ryan Tannehill era. The Dolphins are preparing to move on from the quarterback this offseason rather than paying out the $19MM he’s owed over the next two years, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald hears. 
[RELATED: Dolphins Will Not Pursue Jim Harbaugh]
Tannehill has been less than stellar in Miami, but he hasn’t had great support from his offensive line either. The Dolphins will endeavor to fix the front five, but they apparently believe that they can do better under center.
By cutting or trading the QB, the Dolphins would open up $13.2MM in cap space. Alternatively, they could clear out $18.7MM in savings by making him a post-June 1 cut, but that would come with the downside of another dead money hit in 2020.
Even as the Dolphins ponder their next big move at quarterback, they also recognize that Tannehill has had some strong individual performances. Through 16 weeks, the Dolphins have taken 48 sacks, which ranks as the sixth most in the NFL. Tannehill is undoubtedly frustrated about the circumstances around him, but he is choosing not to dwell on outside factors.
“You can’t look at the game that way. You have to control what you can control,” Tannehill said. “If you play the what if games you’re not going to be growing as a person and a player.”
Jets Sign TE Clive Walford
The Jets signed tight end Clive Walford and placed fellow tight end Eric Tomlinson on injured reserve, according to a team announcement. The move will give them another target for Sunday’s finale against the Patriots, and, more importantly, may enable them to get a closer look at another player in a pivotal offseason. 
Walford’s only career action came with the Raiders, where he made 70 catches for 768 yards and six touchdowns over the course of three seasons. The Jets picked him up after his release in March, but he was unable to make Gang Green’s final cut.
This year, the 27-year-old joined the Colts in late November after the loss of Jack Doyle. Eric Ebron has been heavily involved in the Colts offense throughout the year, but Walford did not see any snaps at tight end during his brief stint in Indianapolis.
Heading into Week 17, the Jets are lined up for the No. 3 overall pick in the draft. The game is largely meaningless for Gang Green, but the outcome will greatly impact their offseason plans.
Ravens’ Terrell Suggs Plans To Play In 2019
Terrell Suggs is gearing up for the final game of his 16th regular season, but he does not believe that it will be his last game in the NFL. Suggs says he still plans on playing next year, even though he is 36 and will be out of contract at the end of this campaign. 
“I don’t feel that itch,” Suggs said this week (via Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com). “Ain’t no hair standing up on the back of my neck right there.”
Suggs also isn’t worried about this being in his final days with Baltimore. Sunday’s contest, his 229th game with the Ravens, be his last in purple, gold, and black, but that’s not at the forefront of his mind.
“Nah, there’s a lot of things that are always a possibility,” Suggs said. “You can’t really harp on the negative. It possibly could but that hasn’t crossed my mind like, ‘Oh my God.’ We’ve got business to handle. We’ll cross every bridge when it’s time to come there.”
The Ravens’ franchise history doesn’t give us much of an indication on how they’ll handle Suggs. While Ray Lewis and Jonathan Ogden spent their entire careers in Baltimore, players like Ed Reed and Haloti Ngata wound up elsewhere.
This much is clear: Suggs still has plenty to offer, even at his advanced age. Through 15 games, Suggs has 32 tackles and seven sacks to his credit.
Jaguars To Start Blake Bortles
The Blake Bortles era isn’t over yet in Jacksonville. On Wednesday, head coach Doug Marrone told reporters that Bortles will start in the team’s season finale against the Texans. 
Bortles was demoted twice this season, which signaled that a return to Jacksonville is unlikely. It’s unclear whether there’s any hope for that now, but Bortles did come through over the weekend to help the Jags beat the Dolphins. The Jaguars wound up winning 17-7 and, in theory, another strong showing from Bortles could impact the team’s offseason plans.
“It was like holy s—, I miss this,” Bortles said (via Phillip Heilman of the Florida Times-Union). “I wanted to play. I wanted to get another opportunity. Obviously, I didn’t want to see anything happen to Cody, but to be given an opportunity, it just kind of feels like you’re back where you belong.”
Only $6.5MM of Bortles’ $16.5MM contract is guaranteed for next season, so the Jaguars are expected to either release him or try to unload him in a Brock Osweiler type of trade. At least, that’s the most likely scenario for now. Sunday’s game will be largely meaningless for the Jaguars, but it could have major ramifications for next year’s QB plans.
Panthers Place Taylor Heinicke On IR
The Panthers have a new quarterback. On Wednesday, Carolina placed Taylor Heinicke on injured reserve and signed Garrett Gilbert to replace him. 
Heinicke took over as the starting QB after Cam Newton was shut down due to a shoulder injury. Then, on Sunday against the Falcons, Heinicke fell hard on his elbow in the second quarter. He mustered up the courage to return to the game after a brief exit, but a Wednesday morning MRI revealed a serious injury for the fill-in and it will necessitate a stint on the IR.
With Gilbert in the fold, the Panthers now have two healthy QBs in Heinicke and Kyle Allen. Allen, in all likelihood, will get the start in the Panthers’ season finale.
Gilbert, meanwhile, offers some familiarity with the Panthers’ offense since he was with the team in the in 2017 and the 2018 offseason. For now, he’ll put his opportunity with Orlando Apollos of the AAF on hold for a chance to prove himself on the NFL’s gridiron.
Raiders, Packers Tried To Claim Swearinger
The Raiders and Packers both submitted a waiver claim on new Cardinals safety D.J. Swearinger, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Ultimately, the Cardinals won out due to their top priority and 3-12 record, but Swearinger had interest before the claim was finalized. 
Swearinger was in the midst of a productive campaign before the Redskins cut him loose this week. The 27-year-old compiled 53 tackles, one sack, three forced fumbles, and four interceptions in 15 games and the metrics at Pro Football Focus were also high on him this season. Swearinger presently ranks 11th out of 86 eligible safeties.
Swearinger was openly critical of the Redskins’ decision making this year and his vocalness likely led to his release. In any event, Washington’s loss is Arizona’s gain. The Cardinals have secured a Pro Bowl alternate on the cheap and they’ll only be on the hook for paying his $176K paycheck in the final week of the season. After that, the Cards have the ability to keep him for $4.25MM in 2019 or let him go without penalty since that salary is non-guaranteed.
Rodger Saffold Wants To Return To Rams
Guard Rodger Saffold is scheduled to hit the open market in March, but he wants to stay put in sunny Los Angeles. The Rams’ longest-tenured player says he wants to re-sign with the club and return for a tenth season (via Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com). 
As one of the more reliable left guards in the league, the Rams certainly want Saffold to return. The veteran also hinted that he may be willing to take a hometown discount to make that happen.
“You want to be paid fairly,” Saffold said. “But I think the culture and the team that I’m around is worth just as much as the extra money that I could get from going somewhere else. That’s just with getting older and understanding what I’m around. I want to be successful for years to come, and I think in order to do that — I’ve been with this team for so long already, it’s like why start changing now that it’s good.”
Saffold, 31 in June, currently ranks as Pro Football Focus’ No. 9 ranked guard in the NFL. The advance metrics show that Saffold is a balanced blocker in all scenarios, which is exactly what his film shows.
“What he enables us to do both in the run and the pass,” head coach Sean McVay said. “The combination of his athleticism, his ability to get to the second level, play in space, but then also play with power, get removal at the line of scrimmage. You’re not limited in any really scheme run-wise. He’s a great matchup.”
The Rams and Saffold are expected to discuss a new deal when the season ends, but at this rate, that might not be for a while. The 12-3 Rams profile as one of the league’s Super Bowl favorites heading into the postseason.
Colts Sign TE Erik Swoope
The Colts signed tight end Erik Swoope to the practice squad, according to a team announcement. Swoope will serve as insurance in case tight end Eric Ebron is not cleared from concussion protocol before Sunday night’s pivotal game against the Titans. 
Swoope originally signed with the Colts as an undrafted free agent in March of 2014. He made his first real impact in 2016, when he caught 15 passes for 197 yards and one touchdown. After losing his 2017 season to a knee issue, he returned this year to appear in seven games and catch eight passes for 87 yards and three scores.
The Colts dropped Swoope a few weeks ago, but he’s back to serve as a potential backstop for a crucial win-and-in contest. As of this writing, Mo Alie-Cox and Ryan Hewitt are the only other healthy tight ends on the active roster.
To make room for Swoope, the Colts dropped quarterback Phillip Walker from the practice squad.