Patriots Meet With Obi Melifonwu
The Patriots will meet with former Raiders second-round pick Obi Melifonwu on Friday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The safety could be a depth signing for the Patriots with the potential to become more down the line. 
Melifonwu hasn’t done much at the pro level, but he was a second-round pick for a reason. The combine darling’s athleticism is still there and the hip injury that slowed him in the summer appears to be better, at least for now.
The 24-year-old UConn product played sparingly during his rookie campaign, compiling seven tackles in five games (one start). Melifonwu was placed on the IR twice during his first season, and he was waived/injured by the Raiders back in August. After clearing waivers, he landed on the team’s injured reserve. This week, the Raiders reached an injury settlement with him, making him a full fledged free agent.
Jets Made Strong Push For Khalil Mack
On Sunday, the Jets will face off against Khalil Mack at Soldier Field. Had things gone differently, Mack could have been on their side in Chicago. The Jets were willing to part with a 2019 first-round pick, a 2020 second-round pick, and more in a trade with Oakland, but the Raiders did not engage with the Jets late in the bidding process that ended with the Bears getting the star defensive end, Manish Mehta of the Daily News writes. 
Ultimately, the Raiders traded Mack to the Bears for two first-rounders, a 2020 third-rounder, and a 2019 sixth-rounder. The Bears also received the Raiders’ 2020 second-rounder and a 2020 conditional fifth-rounder.
The Jets might have been willing to match or exceed the Bears offer. Even now, coach Todd Bowles struggles to hide his affinity for the league’s most terrifying defensive player.
“He’s more of a complete outside backer than most,” Bowles said. “There are fast ones, there are strong ones, but he can do all of the above. He can run around you. He can run over you. He can strip the ball. He can catch the ball. He can drop in coverage. He’s a more complete player than a lot of players today.”
The Jets believe that the Raiders did not want to trade Mack within the conference, which led to the Bears deal. The Raiders may have been able to get more out of the Jets, but they did limit their exposure to Mack for a long time by shipping him to the NFC. After the trade, Mack inked a massive extension with Chicago that will keep him in place through the 2024 season.
Latest On Jets RB Bilal Powell
Despite some initial concern to the contrary, running back Bilal Powell’s neck injury is not career-threatening, Jets coach Todd Bowles told reporters (Twitter link via Ralph Vacchiano of SNY). Powell suffered the same injury that wide receiver Quincy Enunwa suffered last year, which means that it is a serious neck injury, but one that Powell can come back from after taking time to recover. 
The Jets placed Powell on IR this week after learning that he would be unable to play again this year. It’s possible that Powell has played his final down in a Jets uniform since he is in a contract year, but, fortunately, it sounds like he will be able to play football again.
The quietly productive running back will turn 29 over the weekend, meaning that he’ll hit free agency still on the right side of 30. He’ll still be in the recovery process during the first and second waves of free agency, but he could be available for clubs near the start of the season.
The Jets, without the services of Powell, will face the Bears in Chicago on Sunday.
Broncos Promote Isaiah McKenzie
The Broncos announced the promotion of wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie from the practice squad to active roster. McKenzie will fill the roster spot vacated by Wednesday’s release of Chad Kelly. 
The Broncos had good reason to promote McKenzie to the varsity squad. The Bills were trying to sign the Georgia product recently, and the Broncos did not want to let McKenzie leave.
McKenzie, 23, was a fifth-round pick of the Broncos last year. He appeared in eleven games with the majority of his work coming on special teams. McKenzie returned 21 punts for 183 yards (8.7 yards per attempt) and three kickoffs for 50 yards.
For now, the Broncos are moving forward with Case Keenum and Kevin Hogan as their only quarterbacks on the roster. The Broncos may want to consider adding another QB to the mix soon, particularly given Keenum’s struggles this year.
Giants Sign CB Tony Lippett
The Giants signed former Dolphins cornerback Tony Lippett. The veteran took part in the Giants’ practice on Thursday and, depending on how things go, may be an option for the active roster on Sunday against the Redskins. 
Lippett, a former collegiate wideout, was a 13-game starter for the Dolphins in 2016, but lost the entire 2017 season to a torn Achilles. This year, he missed the Dolphins’ final cut.
Lippett takes the place of Eli Apple on the roster, though won’t necessarily take on the same role. B.W. Webb figures to start opposite of Janoris Jenkins while Lippett will probably be one of the first corners off of the bench. In time, Lippett could push his way into the starting lineup, particularly if Jenkins is traded before the Oct. 30 deadline.
The 1-6 Giants have a winnable next three games against the Redskins, 49ers, and Bucs. But, if they don’t win at least two of those three, their playoff hopes will be looking pretty slim.
Cowboys Meet With Obi Melifonwu
Former Raiders cornerback Obi Melifonwu will meet with the Cowboys on Thursday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. And, in addition to Melifonwu, the Cowboys will also meet with veteran defensive back Teddy Williams, according to ESPN.com’s Todd Archer (on Twitter). 
If Melifonwu signs, he’ll rejoin former Raiders teammate Amari Cooper, as well as former UConn teammate Byron Jones. He’ll also enter the building with lower expectations than last year when he entered the league as a second-round pick of the Raiders.
As a rookie, a hip issue kept Melifonwu off of the field. This summer, he was stuck in the trainer’s room again, and Jon Gruden lost patience with his recovery. Melifonwu had a great career at UConn and showed serious athleticism in pre-draft workouts, so the potential is still there for him to do big things at the NFL level.
Williams signed his first NFL contract with the Cowboys in 2010. Back then, Williams was an raw track athlete who was only starting to put his full focus on football. Years later, he has proven himself as a quality special teams player. If signed, Williams can handle special teams duties and take C.J. Goodwin‘s spot on the cornerback depth chart.
Giants Promote Corey Coleman
The Giants promoted wide receiver Corey Coleman from the practice squad on Thursday morning. Coleman will take the roster spot left by the trade of defensive tackle Damon Harrison to the Lions. 
In the last three months, Coleman has moved between four different NFL teams. After being traded by the Browns and going through a pair of uneventful stints with the Bills and Patriots, Coleman is itching to prove himself.
The Giants recently lost Cody Latimer to injury, and the club could be without Russell Shepard and Jawill Davis this week. Although he had much time to learn the playbook, Coleman could have a chance to see the field this Sunday when the Giants face the Redskins.
Coleman, the No. 15 overall pick in the 2016 draft, has yet to outperform his modest rookie season. In that year, he had 33 receptions for 413 yards and three touchdowns. In 2017, he had just 23 catches for 305 yards with 2 TDs, and he’s still waiting to make his 2018 debut.
Lions Cut DT Sylvester Williams
The Lions released defensive tackle Sylvester Williams, per a team announcement. Williams joined the team on a one-year, $3.5MM contract this offseason, but he was not longer needed after the acquisition of Damon Harrison.
Williams started eleven games and made 15 total appearances for the Titans last year, his first campaign outside of Denver since the Broncos made him a first-round pick in 2014. He was strong against the run in 2017, but in Detroit he’s looked more like a matador than a defensive lineman. Williams currently ranks as Pro Football Focus’ No. 78 overall defensive tackle in the league with a subpar score for run D.,He didn’t fill the traditional stat sheet much either with six tackles in six games.
Given his pedigree and experience in both 3-4 and 4-3 sets, Williams figures to draw interest from teams in need of defensive line help.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/24/18
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: G Kofi Amichia
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: G Will House
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: CB Jalen Myrick, OL Adam Bisnowaty
- Released: DL Curtis Cothran
- Placed on PS-IR: DL Jonathan Wynn
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: G Landon Turner
- Cut: QB J.T. Barrett
New York Giants
- Signed: TE Garrett Dickerson
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: LB Cayson Collins
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: CB Javien Elliott
Jets Meet With WR Brice Butler
Wide receiver Brice Butler visited the Jets on Wednesday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. As Quincy Enunwa and Robby Anderson deal with injuries, Butler may help fill the void.
Butler averaged 21.1 yards per catch last season with the Cowboys and parlayed that work into a two-year Arizona deal. He did not end up making the Cardinals’ 53-man roster, though, and returned to the Cowboys as roster depth for a shaky receiving corps. Earlier this week, the Cowboys put him back on the curb after trading for Amari Cooper.
The Jets recently brought Rishard Matthews into the fold and he could serve as one of their top three receivers when they face the Bears on Sunday. Jermaine Kearse, Andre Roberts, Charone Peake, and Deontay Burnett round out the WR depth chart, but one of the latter two could be displaced in favor of Butler.