Titans CB Logan Ryan Suffers Broken Fibula
Titans cornerback Logan Ryan announced that he suffered a broken fibula on Sunday (Twitter link). The injury will shut him down for the final two games of the season and the playoffs, should the Titans make it, but he vows to come back strong in 2019. 
Ryan joined the Titans on a three-year, $30MM contract prior to the 2017 season and has been a fixture in the starting lineup ever since. This year, the 27-year-old recorded a career high of four sacks to go along with his 76 tackles and eight passes defensed. He presently ranks as the No. 38 ranked cornerback in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus, which isn’t too far behind teammate Adoree’ Jackson.
Without Ryan, the Titans will lean more on fellow ex-Patriot Malcolm Butler. Leshaun Sims and Joshua Kalu are also on hand for support, but the Titans will probably add another CB to bolster their depth.
The Titans kept their playoff hopes alive on Sunday with their 17-0 victory over the Giants. They now have a 46% chance of making the playoffs and are still clinging to an 8% chance of overtaking the Texans for the divisional lead, according to FiveThirtyEight. They don’t technically control their own destiny, but wins over the Redskins and Colts would probably give them a Wild Card spot.
Raiders WR Martavis Bryant Banned By NFL
Raiders wide receiver Martavis Bryant has been suspended indefinitely by NFL, according to Michael Gehlken of the Review-Journal (on Twitter). Bryant has been fighting a substance abuse suspension for months, but a lost appeal means that he will be out of the game until further notice. 
The Raiders have feared this news for quite a while, though team execs have been mum on the subject. It’s fair to say the Raiders regret sending a third-round pick to the Steelers for Bryant earlier this year.
The Bryant trade occurred after the Raiders moved down from No. 10 for the Cardinals’ No. 15 pick, plus third- and fifth-round selections. That third-round choice was shipped to Pittsburgh, bringing Bryant to Oakland. UCLA tackle Kolton Miller has potential and may prove to be a quality first-round selection, but the Raiders effectively threw away a Top 100 selection when they acquired Bryant.
Before the deal, Bryant spent his entire four-year career with the Steelers. His tenure was tumultuous, as he missed the entire 2016 season for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. The 26-year-old (27 next week) showed flashes of brilliance early on, including a rookie campaign where he caught eight touchdowns, but the red flags have been long apparent.
Jaguars To Waive S Barry Church
The Jaguars will waive safety Barry Church, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). In related moves, the Jags also waived tight end Niles Paul from the NFI list and activated offensive lineman Josh Wells from injured reserve. 
[RELATED: Jaguars’ Malik Jackson Expects To Be Cut]
Church, 30, joined the Jaguars prior to the 2017 offseason on a four-year, $21.6MM deal. His guarantees have already been paid out, so the move will have no impact on the Jaguars’ 2019 cap. Church’s release will free up $6.25MM in 2019 and its expected that there will be more cap-clearing cuts in the coming months.
The veteran was a healthy scratch last week, but the move to release him before the end of the season is a tad surprising. In any case, Church will hit the waiver wire, giving teams 24 hours to claim him.
In theory, a team could be on board with paying him game checks of $368K for the rest of the year before releasing him from his deal in the offseason. However, the more likely scenario is that Church will go unclaimed and then sign with a contender for the rest of the way.
In eleven games this year (all starts), Church has tallied 38 tackles, one sack, and one interception. However, he has been generally poor in coverage and ranks as Pro Football Focus’ No. 79 safety out of 83 qualified players. He was far sharper in 2016, his final year with the Cowboys, and 2017, his first with the Jags.
Saints Sign WR Simmie Cobbs
The Saints signed wide receiver Simmie Cobbs off of the Redskins’ practice squad, a source tells Nick Underhill of The Advocate (on Twitter). Cobbs will take the roster spot of tight end Erik Swoope, who was informed of his release on Thursday. 
Cobbs was an all-Big Ten receiver at Indiana and caught 72 passes for 841 yards in 2017. He’s an intriguing pickup for a Saints team that has lost several big-name receivers to injury throughout the year.
For now, Cobbs will slot in as the Saints’ No. 6 receiver behind Michael Thomas, Tre’Quan Smith, Austin Carr, Keith Kirkwood, and Tommylee Lewis. Earlier this week, veteran Brandon Marshall was dropped from the roster, so there’s room for reinforcements.
The addition of Cobbs could mean that wide receiver Ted Ginn will not be activated from IR before the year is through. Then again, given all of the Saints’ roster juggling in recent days, nothing can be ruled out. Swoope’s stay in New Orleans lasted less than 24 hours and there’s no guarantee that Cobbs will get to take his coat off and stay awhile if Ginn is given the greenlight.
The Saints, who have already clinched the NFC South, can virtually clinch a first round bye with a win over the Panthers on Sunday. A win in Carolina coupled with a Bears loss in Green Bay would completely seal the deal for the Saints, allowing them to rest any banged up players in the final two weeks.
First-Round Restricted Free Agent Tender To Cost $4.5MM
This year, it will cost nearly $4.5MM for teams to apply the first-round tender to restricted free agents, according to Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). The official figures won’t come out until we get closer to free agency in March, but Corry has estimated the numbers based on the assumption that the 2019 salary cap will be approximately $190MM: 
- Low tender: $2.045MM
- Second Round: $3.124MM
- First Round: $4.449MM
[RELATED: 2019 Salary Cap Expected To Fall Between $187-$191MM]
Restricted free agency applies to players who have exactly three accrued seasons, meaning they’ve been on a full pay scale for at least six regular season games in three years in the NFL. Players with fewer than three accrued seasons and no contract are exclusive rights free agents, while players with four or more accrued seasons are eligible for unrestricted free agency. For draftees, the default rookie contract runs for four years, meaning those players will generally be unrestricted free agents when their original deals expire.
Per the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, RFA tender amounts are increased annually based on the percentage of the salary cap increase. This year’s cap is $177.2MM, so an increase to $190MM represents a 7.2% bump for RFA tenders, which would be one of the highest upticks in NFL history.
There’s no telling where the cap will land in 2020, but RFA tender increases have a built in floor and ceiling to prevent severe fluctuation. The tenders must increase by at least 5%, per the CBA, while the maximum increase is 10%. For example, when the cap went up by less than 2% in 2013, the RFA tender amounts still increased by 5%. And, if the 2020 cap were to increase by 12%, RFA tenders would only go up 10%.
Ultimately, the cap increase is great news for owners and players alike, but the prospect of a 2021 lockout still looms large over the league. The salary cap has increased 40% since 2013, but players are expected to fight for a larger share of the pie and other changes that will protect against career-altering injuries.
Jaguars To Sign K Kai Forbath
Jaguars have signed free agent kicker Kai Forbath, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Forbath will serve as insurance for Josh Lambo, who is questionable for Sunday’s game with a groin injury. 
Forbath has been busy lately. Earlier this week, he auditioned for the Steelers and was asked to stay overnight as the team mulled its options. Ultimately, the Steelers decided to stick it out with Chris Boswell, but Forbath quickly found a job after his audition with the Jaguars. Forbath worked out alongside fellow free agents Caleb Sturgis and Marshall Koehn, according to Rapoport, and had the best showing of the group.
Forbath, 31, spent part of 2016 and all of 2017 with the Vikings, but he was released in August after losing the kicking competition to Daniel Carlson. Forbath connected on 88.7% of his field goal tries in Minnesota, but his 84.9% extra point conversion rate left much to be desired.
If Lambo isn’t cleared in time, Forbath will have an opportunity to make his first kick of 2018 against the Redskins.
Fritz Pollard Alliance Recommends GM Candidates
The Fritz Pollard Alliance has released its annual list of minority candidates for general manager vacancies. Much like the latest batch of recommended coaching hires, the suggested GM list is more than twice as long as last year’s. 
[RELATED: Fritz Pollard Alliance Recommends Head Coaching Candidates]
Here’s the full rundown, via Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link):
- Ray Agnew (Rams)
- Joey Clinkscales (Raiders)
- Quentin Harris (Cardinals)
- Alonzo Highsmith (Browns)
- Brad Holmes (Rams)
- Champ Kelly (Bears)
- Martin Mayhew (49ers, ex-Lions GM)
- Will McClay (Cowboys)
- Jimmy Raye III (Lions)
- Jerry Reese (ex-Giants GM)
- Doug Whaley (ex-Bills GM)
- Doug Williams (Redskins)
Clinkscales, Highsmith, McClay, and Williams were all featured on last year’s list, but none of those executives landed GM jobs. The only executive from the last round of recommendations who did not carry over to this year was Ray Farmer, the former Browns GM who is currently serving as a senior consultant with the Rams.
Of the dozen suggested executives on this list, only three sat for GM interviews in the last cycle: Mayhew (Panthers), Raye (Texans), and Whaley (Packers). McClay was asked to interview for the Texans opening, but declined the opportunity and instead signed a two-year extension to stay with the Cowboys. McClay may garner consideration again this time around, but he might not be interested in leaving Dallas.
Jets Place Isaiah Crowell On IR
On Friday, the Jets placed running back Isaiah Crowell on IR due to a toe injury. To take his place, the Jets will promote running back De’Angelo Henderson from the practice squad. 
Crowell rushed for 685 yards and six touchdowns off of 143 carries this year, but his 98-yard rushing performance against the Titans earlier this month represents his only big game over the last eight contests. Of course, before that, Crowell went off against the Broncos when he racked up 219 yards off of 15 carries.
Crowell seems likely to return to the Jets after signing a three-year, $12MM deal in the offseason and matching a career high 4.8 yards per carry in 2018. However, it’s not guaranteed that he’ll be the Jets’ lead back next year. Gang Green will have upwards of $100MM to spend in the spring and Le’Veon Bell is rumored to be among their top targets.
The Jets are looking to win two straight games for just the second time this season when they face the Texans on Sunday. They’ll try to get the job done without Crowell and wide receiver Quincy Enunwa, who is battling an ankle injury.
Chiefs’ Kendall Fuller To Have Wrist Surgery
Chiefs cornerback Kendall Fuller is believed to have a fractured wrist that will require surgery, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. There’s no word on Fuller’s timetable for recovery, but it’s likely that he will miss the final two games of the regular season and his availability for the playoffs is very much in question. 
[RELATED: NFL Doesn’t Plan To Make Changes After Kareem Hunt Incident]
Fuller valiantly played through the pain in Thursday night’s loss to the Chargers, but he’ll have to miss at least a couple of games after going under the knife. It’s a bad blow to a pass defense that already ranks dead last in the league.
Even with Fuller on the field, and help from Eric Berry in the first half, the Chiefs’ secondary was less than stellar on Thursday. Fuller personally picked up two penalty flags at inopportune times: a five-yard holding penalty in the second quarter and a defensive pass interference call in the end zone with seconds left in the game. After each penalty, the Chargers scores.
The Chiefs will move forward with Steven Nelson starting on one side. To replace Fuller, they’ll draw from a group that includes Orlando Scandrick, Charvarius Ward, and Tremon Smith.
Saints Release TE Erik Swoope
After claiming tight end Erik Swoope off waivers on Wednesday, the Saints are releasing him, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Swoope spent less than 24 hours in New Orleans and he’ll now go straight back on the waiver wire. 
The Saints’ juggling is perplexing, though it could be a sign of a larger move to come. The Saints have been hoping to get wide receiver Ted Ginn back on the field and, if he can’t go, offensive lineman Josh LeRibeus is also a candidate for return.
Help from LeRibeus, who appeared in all 16 games last season, would be nice, but Ginn would probably be more of a difference-maker. Last year, Ginn turned in one of his better offensive seasons with 53 catches for 787 yards and four scores. He can also aid in the return game, where he has thrived in the past.
Swoope, meanwhile, could easily wind up back with Indianpolis, where he is a beloved locker room presence.