Latest On Redskins QB Alex Smith
Quarterback Alex Smith will need 6-8 months to recover from the broken leg he suffered on Sunday, according to head coach Jay Gruden. It’s far from ideal, but the injury is not expected to threaten his career, and that’s good news considering the gruesome nature of the break. 
When Smith went down against the Texans, his broken bone actually punctured his skin, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The 34-year-old will face a lengthy and painful rehab process, but the timeline estimated by doctors would put him in line to suit up for training camp in 2019.
The injury sounds like a career-ender to the layman, but as Dr. David Chao writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune, the bone puncturing the skin merely increases the likelihood for infection. Smith underwent immediate surgery to lessen the chance of that happening, however, and modern medicine should take care of the rest.
Thanks to the four-year contract extension he signed in 2018, Smith is under contract with the Redskins through the 2022 season. The 34-year-old is set to carry a $20.4MM cap number in 2019 and his $16MM base salary will be fully guaranteed by remaining on the roster on the fifth day of the 2019 league year.
Eagles CBs Maddox, Douglas Suffer Injuries
The Eagles’ secondary continues to be hit hard by injuries. Cornerbacks Avonte Maddox and Rasul Douglas both suffered knee injuries in Sunday’s 48-7 loss to the Saints, but as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, the maladies are not as bad as initially feared. 
The exact nature of Maddox’s injury is not immediately clear, but it is not believed to be a season ender. Instead, he is week-to-week, and Douglas is presumably in the same boat after his knee injury was deemed to be only a sprain.
In any event, the Eagles can ill afford more injuries in the secondary. The Eagles just lost star corner Ronald Darby for the season and Jalen Mills has missed the last two games with a foot injury. Mills’ status for Sunday against the Giants is murky and the same goes for Sidney Jones after he tweaked his hamstring, so the Eagles could be forced to draw from a group led by Chandon Sullivan, Cre’Von LeBlanc, and De’Vante Bausby.
No matter how things shake out, it stands to reason that the Eagles will sign at least one new corner this week.
Colts To Sign Josh Andrews
The Colts are expected to sign center/guard Josh Andrews off the Eagles’ practice squad, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Starter Ryan Kelly is likely to miss time with a knee injury suffered on Sunday, so Andrews will provide them with depth in the interim.
Kelly went down in the fourth quarter of the Colts’ 38-10 win over the Titans on Sunday. It’s especially unfortunate since Kelly may be in the midst of his best season to date. The former first-round pick ranks as Pro Football Focus’ No. 8 center in the NFL and has started in all ten of the Colts’ games so far. Meanwhile, the 5-5 Colts kept their playoff hopes alive with the win over the Titans and have a chance at the postseason if they finish strong over the final six games.
Andrews, 27, entered the league as a UDFA with the Colts in 2014. He has 16 games of experience between 2015 and 2016, but has not seen live action in the last two years.
Bucs To Start Jameis Winston Vs. 49ers
The Buccaneers will turn the starting job back over to quarterback Jameis Winston for Sunday’s game against the 49ers, according to Scott Smith of the team website (on Twitter). The move was expected after Winston played well in relief of Ryan Fitzpatrick on Sunday. 
After entering Sunday’s game against the Giants, Winston completed 12 of his 16 passes for 199 yards with two touchdowns and an interception on the final play of the game. Winston led the Bucs to touchdowns on four straight drives, leaving coaches with more confidence in him than in Fitzpatrick, who lobbed three interceptions.
The 3-7 Bucs are likely out of the playoff picture, but these final six games will be crucial to Winston’s future with Tampa Bay. Winston is under club control through the 2019 campaign via the fifth-year option, but the option is guaranteed for injury only and the Bucs can escape the hefty $20.9MM price tag if they want to. There’s a risk that Winston falters and suffers a serious injury down the stretch, but head coach Dirk Koetter is on the hot seat and aiming to win now.
Jaguars Cut QB Landry Jones
Landry Jones‘ short time in Jacksonville has come to an end. On Monday, the Jaguars released the quarterback, according to a team announcement. 
The Jaguars signed Jones on Halloween for insurance after Blake Bortles suffered a left shoulder injury. Now that Bortles is in the clear, the Jaguars felt comfortable enough to release Jones, leaving Cody Kessler as the team’s only backup QB.
Up until the Jags deal, Jones spent his entire NFL career with the Steelers. In a limited sample of playing time, Jones completed 64% of his throws with eight touchdowns against seven interceptions. Among the quarterbacks who have thrown at least 160 passes since 2013, Jones ranks 35th in passer rating and 26th in adjusted net yards per attempt, but it’s difficult to assign much relevance to those numbers given his lack of reps.
To fill Jones’ place on the roster, the Jags signed offensive lineman Corey Robinson. The fourth-year pro has 24 career games to his credit, including eight starts.
Bucs’ Beckwith Will Not Play This Season
Linebacker Kendell Beckwith will not be able to play this season, coach Dirk Koetter announced (Twitter link via Greg Auman of The Athletic). Beckwith suffered a broken ankle in a car accident in the spring and he did not recover as quickly as the team hoped. 
The former LSU star could have provided depth in the wake of injuries to Kwon Alexander and Lavonte David, but they’ll have to get by without him. This week, the Bucs will be forced to move him from the non-football injury (NFI) list to another reserve list.
Last year, the Bucs used Beckwith at all three linebacker spots as he appeared in all 16 games with eleven starts. The 23-year-old had 73 total tackles on the year, including a 14-tackle game against the Patriots in the first month of the season. Beckwith wasn’t originally ticketed for a starting role, but he wound up playing on 847 snaps as a rookie after being selected in the third round of the draft.
With David out for the year, the Bucs are moving forward with Devante Bond, Adarius Taylor, and David as their starters. But, if David continues to miss time, Riley Bullough will run with the first-string unit.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/19/18
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: LB Richard Jarvis
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DB Lenzy Pipkins
New York Jets
- Signed: DL Destiny Vaeao
Lions’ Kerryon Johnson To Miss Time
The Lions will be without running back Kerryon Johnson for one or two games with a knee sprain, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). All things considered, it’s not a terrible outcome since there was fear of a more serious injury at first. 
Johnson will be sidelined for this year’s Thanksgiving Day matchup against the Bears, but he’ll have a puncher’s chance at suiting up for the club’s Dec. 2 game against the Rams. At worst, it sounds like Johnson will be on the field for Dec. 9 against the Cardinals. Without Johnson, the Lions are expected to lean on a committee of LeGarrette Blount, Theo Riddick, and Zach Zenner.
Johnson has managed 5.4 yards per carry on 118 attempts so far during his rookie season and also ranks seventh in Football Outsiders’ success rate, meaning he’s effective at keeping the Lions’ offense on schedule. The second-round pick out of Auburn has averaged 5.4 yards per tote and has also reeled in 32 grabs for 213 yards. In total, he has four all-purpose touchdowns and has clearly emerged as the best running back in the Lions’ group.
The Lions edged the Panthers 20-19 on Sunday, keeping their slim playoff hopes alive. At 4-6, they’ll need wins in the next two games – with or without Johnson – in order to keep things afloat.
Patriots Notes: Gronk, Brady, Burkhead
Last week, the Patriots dropped running back Kenjon Barner even though rookie Sony Michel is still limited in practice with a knee injury. That may indicate that the Pats believe Rex Burkhead will return to action in early December, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes.
Burkhead has not been seen since the third week of the season when he suffered a concussion, but he returned to practice on Nov. 8. Per the league’s IR rules, Burkhead can return to action as early as Dec. 2 against the Vikings.
Michel still figures to be the Patriots’ primary back, but Reiss expects Burkhead to enter the game in every third series. He may also get involved in the passing game after averaging 3.0 catches per game in 2017, though James White will likely lead the charge in that department.
Here’s more from New England:
- After missing three of the past four games with a back injury, tight end Rob Gronkowski is expected to play against the Jets after the bye week, sources tell ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Unfortunately, back and ankle trouble has hampered Gronk throughout the year. For the most part, however, he’s been productive when on the field. In seven games, Gronk has 29 catches for 448 yards and one touchdown.
- Tom Brady is finally showing signs of his age, as Ben Volin of The Boston Globe writes. The 41-year-old superstar is behind the likes of Mitchell Trubisky and Ryan Fitzpatrick in passer rating, his interception rate is its highest since 2011, and he’s struggling mightily against the blitz. Of course, the Patriots would be well-protected against Brady’s decline if they still had Jimmy Garoppolo as his backup. On the plus side, the Patriots did not tie up cap space with a huge extension for the young QB and the trade – in a roundabout way – netted them second-round cornerback Duke Dawson and the Bears’ second-round pick in 2019.
Redskins To Sign QB Mark Sanchez
The Redskins have agreed to sign free agent quarterback Mark Sanchez, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Sanchez worked out alongside a number of QBs on Monday and apparently made the strongest impression on team brass. 
Its been roughly a decade since Sanchez entered the league as the No. 5 overall pick in the 2009 draft and secured a five-year deal worth up to $60MM from the Jets. Lauded as a strong leader and a quality game manager, Sanchez was under center for back-to-back AFC Championship game appearances in his first two NFL seasons.
Since then, however, Sanchez’s career has been in decline. He has not attempted an NFL pass since his 2016 season with the Cowboys and he spent the 2017 season as a benchwarmer for the Bears. This past spring, he was hit with a four-game ban for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy. Unfortunately, Sanchez’s success in New York is a distant memory and the 32-year-old is remembered more for the infamous buttfumble than anything else at this point.
The Redskins’ quarterback plans were turned upside down this week when starter Alex Smith suffered a broken tibia and fibia. Sanchez will now serve as the one and only backup to Colt McCoy, who just attempted his first throw since 2015.
Sanchez has some ties to the Redskins’ coaching staff and that familiarity likely played a role in the signing. Redskins offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh was the Jets’ quarterbacks coach from 2009-12, offensive line coach Bill Callahan was the Jets’ assistant head coach and offensive line coach from ’08-’11, and Redskins QB coach Kevin O’Connell was teammates with “San-chise” for a bit in New York.
E.J. Manuel, T.J. Yates, Kellen Clemens, and Josh Johnson also participated in the Redskins’ workout on Monday.