Saints’ Terron Armstead To Miss Time
Saints left tackle Terron Armstead is expected to miss three to four weeks with a pectoral injury, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Armstead suffered the injury in Sunday’s one-sided win over the Bengals. 
The Saints turned to veteran Jermon Bushrod after Armstead’s exit, so it stands to reason that he will start in Armstead’s absence. The Saints also have Michael Ola and tackle/guard Chaz Green to support Bushrod and Ryan Ramczyk, so they don’t necessarily have to add a tackle this week.
With an 8-1 record, the Saints are fighting more for playoff positioning than a postseason berth. They have a comfortable, though not insurmountable, lead over the 6-3 Panthers for the NFC South title and they are second only to the 9-1 Rams in the NFC. Clearly, they did not miss a beat after Armstead’s exit on Sunday, so this is unlikely to unravel the Saints’ passing offense in the coming weeks.
Armstead, 27, ranks as the league’s No. 1 overall tackle this year, according to Pro Football Focus.
Patriots Activate Duke Dawson From IR
The Patriots have officially activated second-round cornerback Duke Dawson from injured reserve to the 53-man roster, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. In corresponding moves, the team released running back Kenjon Barner and linebacker Nicholas Grigsby. 
The Patriots were forced to place the rookie on IR in September due to a hamstring injury. Now, after a few weeks of practice, the former Florida Gator is good to go.
Dawson was in the mix to become New England’s slot cornerback early in camp but will likely rejoin the team as depth piece behind Jonathan Jones. In time, Dawson may overtake Jones, who Pro Football Focus grades as the league’s No. 57 ranked corner this year.
If he’s on the gameday roster, Dawson will have a chance to make his debut against the Jets in New Jersey on Nov. 25.
Steelers’ Le’Veon Bell Will Not Play This Year
The Le’Veon Bell saga – or, at least, this part of it – is over. The running back will not report to the Steelers or sign his franchise tender before the Tuesday afternoon deadline, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. This renders him ineligible to play in 2018. 
The Steelers tagged Bell for the second straight time, but he refused to play on a one-year, $14.5MM contract. There was previously confusion about the ramifications of a year-long holdout, but Bell’s camp recently confirmed that he cannot be tagged again at the same rate. A third franchise tag would cost the Steelers roughly $25MM, which assures that he’ll reach unrestricted free agency unless the team throws him a curveball and uses the transition tag.
Bell has sacrificed roughly $8MM in salary up until this point and he’ll forfeit another ~$6MM in earnings by stretching his holdout through the end of the season. He’ll also miss out on a possible Super Bowl run. Despite a rocky start, the Steelers lead the AFC North and appear well on their way to another playoff berth.
Bell’s stance has been the source of controversy this year, but, from a financial perspective, it’s hard to argue with his approach. If Bell suffered a serious injury this year, he would have jeopardized a massive payday in free agency. It’s likely that he’ll be dinged for his high usage in recent years and Bell did not want to take another hit as he seeks to break the mold for running backs.
Some GMs may shy away from Bell for a perceived lack of commitment to the game, but he still figures to command a record-breaking contract in the spring. The Jets, for example, are projected to have upwards of $100MM in cap room and figure to make a strong push for Bell, who will have just turned 27 in March.
Bell’s free agency will be a fascinating case to watch. It’s not often that truly elite players reach unrestricted free agency and Bell will arguably be one of the best to ever hit the open market.
Fortunately for the Steelers, they have found a very capable replacement in Bell’s former understudy. James Conner, 23, has 771 yards off of 164 carries in nine games this year, giving him a stellar average of 4.7 yards per tote. He also has ten rushing touchdowns and a 39/387/1 stat line as a receiver.
Bills Cut WR Terrelle Pryor
The Bills released wide receiver Terrelle Pryor, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Pryor was signed just a couple of weeks ago, but didn’t do much in his two games with Buffalo. 
In Pryor’s first game with the Bills, he was on the field for 83% of the team’s snaps. On Sunday against the Jets, he saw just 43% of snaps. His brief stint in Buffalo is now over after catching just two passes for 17 yards.
The former Ohio State quarterback broke out in 2016 with the Browns, tallying 77 catches for 1,007 yards and four touchdowns. He joined the Redskins after that on a one-year contract, but was unable to take advantage of the platform deal. His 2017 season ended with a 20/240/1 stat line, and he has a similar 16/252/2 line through eight games this year.
It’s fair to wonder whether injuries are still hampering Pryor’s production. The Jets released Pryor in October while he was dealing with a groin strain. Days later, he declared himself to be close to 100% healthy, but he didn’t look all that sharp with the Bills. The 29-year-old had a couple of solid performances with the Jets this fall, so there’s still reason to believe that Pryor can be a difference maker in the NFL.
Jets To Work Out Marcus Smith
Former Eagles first-round defensive end Marcus Smith will work out for the Jets on Tuesday, Manish Mehta of the Daily News tweets. This is the first we’ve heard of Smith since his release from the Seahawks in August.
Towards the end of the summer, Smith was said to be considering retirement. The Seahawks were cautiously optimistic about what he could do this season, but they cut ties as his motivation was called into question.
In three seasons with the Eagles, Smith never made a start and registered only four sacks. In 2016, the 26-year-old Smith played on only 20% of Philadelphia’s defensive snaps.
The Seahawks scooped up Smith after he was released in the summer of 2017 and he showed some promise in a limited role. In 252 snaps, Smith had 14 tackles and 2.5 sacks, and he was re-signed to a one-year deal that could have paid him up to $2.7MM this year.
The Jets are also taking a look at outside linebacker Marquis Flowers and it seems likely that they’ll made at least one addition to their pass rush this week.
Titans Meet With Charles Sims
Charles Sims worked out for the Titans on Tuesday, according to Adam Caplan of SiriusXM (on Twitter). The former Bucs running back has yet to see the field in 2018, but he could be closing in on a home for the 2018 season. 
[RELATED: Titans Explored Amari Cooper, Other WRs Before Trade Deadline]
Titans rusher David Fluellen injured his knee on Sunday and will miss at least one game. Sims could be a temporary fill-in, giving the Titans another body behind Derrick Henry and Dion Lewis.
A former Buccaneers passing-down back, Sims has auditioned for the Texans, Patriots, Jaguars, and Lions over the last couple of months. He’s shown flashes of ability during his run in the NFL, especially during a 2015 campaign in which he caught 51 passes for the Buccaneers.
Patriots TE Dwayne Allen To Miss Time
Patriots tight end Dwayne Allen suffered a knee injury in Sunday’s loss to the Titans, Mike Giardi of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. Fortunately, Allen does not need surgery, but he is expected to miss a few weeks. 
[RELATED: Patriots Were Open To Re-Signing Malcolm Butler]
The Patriots have their bye this week, so Allen has a bit of extra time to rest up. They also expect to have Rob Gronkowski in the lineup for their Nov. 25 game against the Jets, so they don’t necessarily have to make a move.
Still, even with Gronk, the Pats could arguably use a blocking tight end in the mix. Backup Jacob Hollister suited up on Sunday after healing up from a hamstring injury, but he lost weight during his recovery and no longer profiles as a prototypical blocker, as Doug Kyed of NESN tweets.
Jets To Work Out LB Marquis Flowers
The Jets’ search for linebacker depth has led them to a former Patriot. On Tuesday, the Jets will audition outside linebacker Marquis Flowers, according to Manish Mehta of the Daily News (on Twitter). 
Flowers joined old friend Matt Patricia by signing with the Lions after he missed the Patriots’ initial cut this year. In October, the Lions cut him loose in order to claim cornerback Lenzy Pipkins, putting him back on the workout circuit. Over the last four weeks, Flowers has auditioned for the Texans, Chiefs, and Jaguars, but has yet to find a new home for the 2018 season.
Flowers has spent most of his career as a special teamer, but he did record 3.5 sacks for the Pats in 2017. If signed by the Jets, he’ll likely chip in on special teams while offering depth behind starting OLBs Brandon Copeland and Jordan Jenkins.
Redskins Activate CB Joshua Holsey
The Redskins activated cornerback Joshua Holsey, per a club announcement. Holsey began the season on the non-football injury list, but is finally healthy enough to get back on the field. 
[RELATED: Redskins’ Geron Christian Out For Year]
Holsey was parked on NFI during training camp when a table landed on his foot. The timing was unfortunate as Holsey figured to see a larger role in the defense following the Kendall Fuller trade.
As a rookie in 2017, Holsey played mostly on special teams and appeared in 12 games. This year, he figures to see special teams work once again, though he may see an uptick in snaps as well. He joins a cornerback depth chart that includes Josh Norman, Quinton Dunbar, Fabian Moreau, sixth-round pick Greg Stroman, UDFA Danny Johnson, and supplemental draft pick Adonis Alexander.
In a corresponding move, the Redskins formally placed offensive lineman Geron Christian on IR.
Jets Unlikely To Fire GM Mike Maccagnan
The Jets are unlikely to fire GM Mike Maccagnan, several sources familiar with the Jets’ thinking tell Ralph Vacchiano of SNY. Head coach Todd Bowles, however, is on the hot seat. 
Vacchiano hears that Maccagnan’s long-stated plan has been to compete for a playoff berth in 2019 and therefore his roster has not fallen short of expectations in the eyes of ownership. The Jets will enter the offseason with upwards of $100MM in cap space and they have a promising young quarterback in Sam Darnold, so they could conceivably put themselves in the postseason mix next year.
Still, Maccagnan’s lack of success in the draft has been alarming. Only 12 of the 22 players picked in his first three drafts (2015-2017) remain on the team and the wisdom of some of his hits can be questioned. For example, second-year safety Jamal Adams has promise, but the Jets passed on the opportunity to take Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson when they took him at No. 6 overall in 2017.
It’s also worth noting that Maccagnan had a boatload of cash to work with this past offseason, but failed to fix the team’s porous offensive line or improve the team’s stable of receivers. The club’s biggest expenditure was free agent Trumaine Johnson, a $72.5MM cornerback who has struggled to stay healthy and has done little to impress in his five games on the field.
Despite all of that, the Jets appear willing to exercise patience and stay the course with Maccagnan. Unfortunately for Bowles, that patience will probably not extend to the head coach.