Saints Sign CB Josh Robinson
The Saints have agreed to sign cornerback Josh Robinson, according to Mike Florio of PFT (Twitter link). Robinson worked out for the Saints late last month and beat out a handful of other corners who were under consideration.
The Saints scanned the market for cornerback help after placing cornerback Patrick Robinson on IR. David Amerson, Sterling Moore, Dexter McDougle, and Robert Nelson were among the players being considered, but Robinson got the job despite having the least name recognition of the bunch.
Robinson entered the league as a third-round pick of the Vikings in 2012 and spent the first four seasons of his career in Minnesota. After that, he spent two years with the Bucs, but he missed the team’s final cut this year. The 27-year-old boasts 74 games of NFL experience, but has not made a start since the 2014 season.
Seahawks Notes: Kendricks, Thomas, Suh
Is the NFL mishandling the Mychal Kendricks case? Mike Florio of PFT seems to think so, arguing that a potential 12-game suspension for alleged insider trading doesn’t make sense when considering the baseline punishment for domestic abuse suspensions is a six-game ban.
The “indefinite” suspension for the Seahawks linebacker could technically allow him to return this season, but there won’t be any real progress in his case until his sentencing in January. One could argue that a preemptive suspension was not necessary since Kendricks made immediate restitution and has no criminal record.
Here’s more out of Seattle:
- The timing of Earl Thomas‘ four-year, $40MM extension was not exactly ideal for the safety, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times writes. Had Thomas’ contract run out in 2017, the team might have signed him to a third deal heading into last season as it did with Kam Chancellor. Instead, Thomas’ age made a lucrative new deal unpalatable for the Seahawks. Condotta also notes that Thomas can technically be traded while on IR, but that would make little sense since he has been ruled out for the season. Before Thomas’ leg fracture, the Seahawks reportedly lowered the asking price on the All-Pro defender. The Chiefs were in pursuit of him and the two sides were inching towards a trade.
- The Seahawks spoke extensively with Ndamukong Suh in the spring, but the club couldn’t get close to the Rams’ offer due to cap constraints, coach Pete Carroll says (Twitter link via Condotta). On Sunday, the Seahawks will face Suh, who is off to a tremendous start.
Bills Claim DT Jordan Phillips
The Bills have claimed defensive tackle Jordan Phillips off waivers from the Dolphins, according to a club announcement. To make room, the Bills released defensive tackle Robert Thomas. 
The Dolphins cut Phillips on Tuesday, days after he blew up on the sidelines due to his lack of playing time. The Dolphins attempted to trade Phillips first, but they were unable to find a suitable deal.
Former Dolphins GM Dennis Hickey, who drafted Phillips in 2015, works for the Bills now, so he is familiar with the former second-round pick’s potential. At 6’6″ and 341 pounds, Phillips has the size to disrupt quarterbacks and stuff opposing running backs. He hasn’t really blossomed at the pro level, but a change of scenery could be just what the doctor ordered.
Phillips’ most productive season came in 2016 when he had 23 tackles, three pass breakups, an interception, and a half sack. Over the last three seasons and change, the defensive tackle has 5.5 sacks to his credit.
With two games on the remaining schedule against the Dolphins (12/2 and 12/30), Phillips will have the opportunity to exact revenge on his former team. Phillips won’t be a starter for the Bills, but he should be in the rotation behind first-stringers Kyle Williams and Star Lotulelei.
Practice Squad Updates: 10/3/18
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DB Arrion Springs
Detroit Lions
- Signed: S Rolan Milligan
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: CB Herb Waters
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: OL Jamil Douglas
No Suspension For Jets’ Robby Anderson
After a pair of arrests, Jets wide receiver Robby Anderson appeared on track for a suspension from the NFL. However, the league has confirmed that Anderson will not be suspended for any of his legal run-ins, according to Manish Mehta of the Daily News (on Twitter). 
Anderson’s first incident took place in May of last year when he resisted arrest with violence after allegedly getting into a fight at a Florida music festival. Then, in January of this year, Anderson was pulled over for driving 105 mph in a 45 mph zone. The 25-year-old was initially hit with nine charges from that arrest and police say that he threatened to sexually assault the wife of the arresting officer.
Over the summer, Florida prosecutors dropped the felony charges associated with the music festival brawl. Later on, Anderson received six months of non-reporting probation to settle the reckless driving incident.
This is tremendous news for the 1-3 Jets, who can use all the help they can get. As opposing defenses focus on Quincy Enunwa, they’ll need Anderson to exploit weaker coverage. Through one month of football, Enunwa leads the Jets in receiving with 21 grabs for 278 yards and one touchdown. Anderson, meanwhile, has just eight catches for 108 yards and a score.
The Jets – with Anderson in the lineup – will face the Broncos in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday.
Packers’ Wilkerson To Make Full Recovery
It’s rare that a season-ending ankle surgery produces good news, but that’s exactly what happened for Muhammad Wilkerson. There was some concern that Wilkerson’s injury would affect his football future, but Dr. Robert Anderson has informed him that he’ll make a full recovery, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 
Wilkerson suffered the fractured ankle in Week 3 against the Redskins and the Packers placed him on IR soon after. The painful injury is undoubtedly frustrating for Wilkerson, especially since he joined Green Bay on a one-year platform contract, but it’s not as bad as it could have been.
Wilkerson registered just five tackles through three games this year, but Pro Football Focus rated him in the top 30 for interior defensive linemen. There should be a market for Wilkerson once he returns to full health, though his next deal will be worth a lot less than the five-year, $86MM extension he inked with the Jets in 2016.
Ideally, teams would like to see Wilkerson get back to the form he exhibited in 2015 when he registered 12 sacks en route to a Pro Bowl selection. Wilkerson’s effort and performance slipped over the next two years, forcing the Jets to release him in spite of costly cap implications.
Kenny Britt Files Grievance Against Patriots
Kenny Britt has filed an injury grievance against the Patriots, according to a source who spoke with Ben Volin of The Boston Globe (on Twitter). The wide receiver is seeking his entire $1.05MM salary that was owed to him for the 2018 season. 
The Patriots released Britt on Aug. 22 without an injury designation. That’s a major point of contention for Britt, since a hamstring issue prevented him from taking part in training camp.
Per league rules, 40% of the grievance will impact the Patriots’ salary cap, so the Pats are currently carrying a $420K expense for Britt. That wouldn’t be a big deal for most teams, but it impacts the Patriots as they have just $1.27MM in total cap room.
In the offseason, Britt appeared to be in line for a key role in the Patriots’ offense. Then, just a couple of weeks ago, the Pats were thinking about re-signing Britt, but the Josh Gordon trade derailed those plans.
If Britt returns to full health this year, he could be an interesting pickup for a team in need. His 2017 season was disastrous, but he’s not far removed from his 1,000-yard season with the Rams in 2016.
Seahawks To Sign Maurice Alexander
The Seahawks have signed safety Maurice Alexander, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The former Rams safety will help fill the void after Earl Thomas was placed on IR. 
Alexander, 27, started 14 games for the Rams in 2016 and started four contests for the club last year. The former fourth-round pick wasn’t playing all that well, however, as Pro Football Focus graded Alexander as a bottom-10 safety in 2016. But Alexander offers both youth and experience, and could become a valuable reserve for the Seahawks.
For now, the Seahawks are expected to move forward with Tedric Thompson as Thomas’ replacement in the starting lineup. He joins Tre Flowers, Bradley McDougald, and Shaquill Griffin in a secondary that is talented, but not Legion Of Boom-level great.
If he’s active on Sunday, Alexander’s first contest will come against the Rams. Currently at 2-2, the Seahawks will look to hand the Rams their first loss of 2018.
Saints Cut WR Brandon Tate
The Saints have cut veteran wide receiver/kick returner Brandon Tate, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. As a vested veteran, Tate will be free to sign with any club of his choosing once the transaction is official.
Tate did not make the Saints’ initial 53-man roster out of training camp, but he was re-signed last week to take over for the injured Tommylee Lewis as the club’s return man. Now, just days before his 31st birthday, Tate is once again out of work.
Tate returned three punts for the Saints on Sunday, but amassed just 15 yards in total. The Saints could be focused on finding a better return solution, but the move may be geared towards creating space for the activation of running back Mark Ingram.
Seahawks’ Mychal Kendricks Suspended Indefinitely
The NFL suspended Seahawks linebacker Mychal Kendricks indefinitely for insider trading, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The veteran will be barred from playing until further notice from the league office. 
The Browns signed Kendricks back in June, but Cleveland quickly released him after news of the insider trading charge broke in August. Seattle head coach Pete Carroll opted to give him a second chance, but the NFL’s disciplinary arm sees things differently.
When the Browns signed Kendricks, they believed that the former Eagle was somehow involved with an insider trading case as a victim, but did not know the full extent of his involvement. Later, it came to light that he was the focal point of a federal investigation.
“Prior to signing Mychal, we were informed that there was a financial situation that he had been involved with in 2014. We were told Mychal had fully cooperated with investigators as a victim,” GM John Dorsey said in a statement. “From what was communicated at that time and based on the numerous questions we asked and further due diligence on our part, including checking with the league office, there was no information discovered that conveyed otherwise.”
Kendricks, who turned 28 on Friday, had a sack in each of his first two games with the Seahawks. He has 15 total tackles to his credit this year, and that could go down as his final stat line for 2018 if his situation is not resolved quickly.
The linebacker is facing 30 to 37 months in prison if convicted of the charges against him.