Bucs’ O.J. Howard Suffers MCL Sprain
Buccaneers tight end O.J. Howard sprained his MCL and is expected to miss 2-4 weeks, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The good news is that the Bucs are coming up on their bye week, so Howard could wind up missing only one game if he heals quickly. 
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Howard, the No. 19 overall pick in last year’s draft, has impressed despite having to share tight end duties with Cameron Brate. The Bucs, naturally, will lean a bit more on the the 27-year-old for however long Howard is out. They also have Antony Auclair and Alan Cross on the roster, so they don’t necessarily have to bring in an extra tight end.
In his four games, Howard has eleven catches for 222 yards and a touchdown. Last year, Howard found the end zone six times and had 26 grabs for 432 yards.
Chiefs, Seahawks Were Nearing Thomas Deal
Earl Thomas‘ season is over, and so too are his hopes for a trade. But, before the injury, the Chiefs and Seahawks were nearing a blockbuster mid-season swap, according to Terez A. Paylor of Yahoo Sports. 
The Seahawks and Chiefs were unable to reach a deal before their Week 4 games, but there was “internal optimism something would be struck” before the Oct. 31 deadline, Paylor writes. Had they landed Thomas, the Chiefs would have boasted one of the league’s most formidable safety duos with him and Eric Berry (once Berry is healthy), but that dream will have to be put on hold for now.
Given the Chiefs’ aggressiveness in pursuing Thomas, it seems likely that they’ll go hard after him in March, when he hits the free agent market. Thomas’ beloved Cowboys and other contenders will also follow suit, though Thomas’ earning potential may be capped by the stagnating market for veteran safeties.
The Seahawks, meanwhile, will have to move forward without one of their top defenders and it’s improbable that they’ll retain him in 2019. The silver lining is that Thomas’ departure will contribute to their compensatory pick formula and likely land them a third-round choice in 2020.
Titans’ Kenny Vaccaro To Miss Time
Titans safety Kenny Vaccaro will miss time with an elbow dislocation, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Vaccaro will miss at least two weeks and potentially up to four. 
The injury is obviously not ideal, but it looked a whole lot worse when he went down in the Titans’ 26-23 win over the Eagles. After resting up for a few weeks, Vaccaro will look to continue his strong play from the month of September. Through four games, Vaccaro has already recorded an interception and a sack.
Vaccaro joined the Titans in August after the team lost starting safety Johnathan Cyprien to an ACL tear. Without him, they’ll look to fill the void internally with Kendrick Lewis, rookie Dane Cruikshank and Brynden Trawick.
The 3-1 Titans will face the Bills, Ravens, and Chargers in the next three games before their Week 8 bye. Depending on how things go from here, the team may opt to push Vaccaro’s return until Week 9, giving him nearly five weeks to recover.
Ingram, Edelman To Return In Week 5
As we approach Week 5 of the NFL season, several NFL players are returning from four-game bans. As noted by Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter), that list includes notables such as Saints running back Mark Ingram, Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman, Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict, Cowboys defensive tackle David Irving, Chargers defensive tackle Corey Liuget, Colts running back Robert Turbin, Raiders cornerback Daryl Worley, Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith. 
Players do not count against a team’s roster max while suspended, so clubs will have to make room for these players before adding them for Week 5. There will be some tough decisions to make, but the upside is clear in most of these cases, particularly when it comes to offensive weapons like Ingram and Edelman or defensive pillars like Burfict and Irving.
Alvin Kamara should remain the focal point of the Saints’ running game, but the return of Ingram will give opposing defenses something else to think about. And, as we saw in the first three weeks of the Patriots’ season, Edelman has been sorely missed.
Broncos’ Jake Butt Done For Year
Jake Butt suffered a torn left ACL during Thursday’s walkthrough practice, according to Mike Klis of 9News (on Twitter). Butt is done for the year and will be placed on injured reserve. 
It’s a crushing blow for Butt, who tore his right ACL twice while at Michigan. Through three games, Butt was making an impact, and had eight catches for 85 yards. He’ll now have to wait until September of next year to build on his progress.
Butt was the 145th overall pick in the 2017 draft, but offers far more upside than your average fifth-rounder. Before his second torn ACL suffered in the Orange Bowl, Butt had a chance to parlay back-to-back strong seasons into becoming a first- or second-round pick. Butt combined for 97 receptions and seven touchdowns during his final two years with the Wolverines and earned first-team All-America honors in each season.
Without Butt, top tight end Jeff Heuerman and backup Matt LaCosse will be relied on a bit more heavily. Fifth-round pick Troy Fumagalli is on IR with an abdominal injury, so the Broncos may look to sign another tight end this week.
Titans Won’t Rule Out Dez Bryant Signing
The Titans are down a wide receiver after granting Rishard Matthews‘ request for a release, and that vacancy could potentially lead them to Dez Bryant. When asked about the free agent, GM Jon Robinson told reporters that he is “looking at all players to see who fits on this football team.” However, he cautioned that the club probably won’t add another wide receiver immediately (Twitter link via Jim Wyatt of the team website). 
Bryant is still out of work as we near October, and other clubs with wide receiver needs have more or less dismissed the idea of signing him. Recently, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll indicated that the team will not be adding Bryant, despite Doug Baldwin‘s partial MCL tear.
Bryant, who doesn’t turn 30 until November, has hinted at wanting to join the Patriots or Redskins, but neither team seems interested. The Redskins didn’t reach out despite some injuries to their receiver group and the Patriots are already busy getting Josh Gordon up to speed on the playbook.
Matthews amassed nearly 1,000 yards receiving for the Titans in 2016, so Bryant, one of the league’s best receivers from 2012-2014, could be of use. Still, the Titans may want to focus on getting their offense to click on the whole while properly utilizing Corey Davis, a promising young talent who has yet to find the end zone in his 14 NFL games.
Seahawks To Release Dontae Johnson
The Seahawks will release cornerback Dontae Johnson from injured reserve today, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Johnson was slated to start for Seattle, but a minor injury landed him on IR just prior to the season opener. 
Johnson is now healthy, Pelissero hears, so he should be ready to join any club in need of cornerback help right away. Johnson started in all 16 games for the 49ers last year, so there should be a fair amount of interest in his services.
In 2017, Johnson finished with career-highs in tackles (77) and passes defended (seven). Pro Football Focus wasn’t all that fond of his performance, however, ranking him 118th among 121 eligible cornerbacks.
Johnson was expected to start at outside cornerback alongside Shaquill Griffin and slot specialist Justin Coleman, but the Seahawks have used Tre Flowers in his stead.
49ers Considered Re-Signing Eric Reid
The Panthers signed free agent Eric Reid on Thursday, but they weren’t the only club with interest. The 49ers were among the clubs that made a “sincere run” at the safety and had interest in signing him to a one-year deal, according to Jim Trotter of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
Starting strong safety Jaquiski Tartt was held out of Week 3 with a shoulder injury and free safety Adrian Colbert was forced out of that game with a knee issue, so the Niners could be looking for reinforcements. It’s not clear whether Reid was interested in returning to San Francisco after the team moved him all around the field in 2017 and showed little interest in re-signing him during the height of the offseason.
Either way, Reid’s focus is now on helping the Panthers win. And, apparently, the Panthers were not focused on Reid’s anthem protests. The team did not ask Reid about how he plans to handle the anthem this year, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, though raising the question wasn’t really an option after the backlash the Bengals received earlier this year.
Titans Release WR Rishard Matthews
As expected, the Titans announced their intention to release Rishard Matthews. The wide receiver asked the team to cut him on this week and the Titans obliged after being unable to find a suitable trade for him. 
The Titans’ passing offense has struggled this year, in part because the injury to Marcus Mariota that forced Blaine Gabbert into action. Matthews, meanwhile, was upset about his limited role and wants to join a club that will utilize him more.
“I’ve been the leading receiver for two years,” Matthews said. “Then all of a sudden I’m barely playing and not even starting. Using my injury as the scapegoat. Look at number of snaps and targets.”
As Field Yates of ESPN.com notes (on Twitter), receiver-needy teams like the Cowboys, Patriots, Bills, Seahawks, and Cardinals would all make sense for Matthews. The Bills, in particular, could be a likely landing spot for the veteran. Bills wide receivers coach Terry Robiskie was Tennessee’s offensive coordinator in 2016 and 2017, so he knows what Matthews can do when he’s at his best.
Matthews had something of a breakout season with the Dolphins in 2015 and parlayed that into a free agent deal with the Titans in 2016. Matthews responded by amassing 945 receiving yards in his first year with Tennessee and had nearly 800 yards last season. In three games this year, Matthews had just three catches off of six targets.
After releasing Matthews, the Titans are left with five wide receivers on the roster – Corey Davis, Tajae Sharpe, Taywan Taylor, Darius Jennings, and Nick Williams. Davis leads the team with 13 catches for 151 yards through three weeks.
Panthers To Sign S Eric Reid
The Panthers have signed free agent safety Eric Reid to a one-year deal, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Reid will help to fill the void after the team was forced to place safety Da’Norris Searcy on injured reserve last week. 
This offseason, Reid fell victim to a stagnant free agent market for safeties. His role in national anthem protests and alignment with Colin Kaepernick may have also played a role in his extended unemployment. Whatever the reason, Reid is undoubtedly happy to be back in football and in a situation where he has an opportunity to shine.
“Eric has been a starting safety in the NFL and has played at a high level throughout his career,” GM Marty Hurney said in a statement. “After we put Da’Norris Searcy on injured reserve, Ron [Rivera] and I discussed our options, and Eric was at the top of our list. He is a physical safety with good ball skills and play-making ability.”
Reid took a visit with the Bengals earlier this year, but later filed a grievance after Cincinnati asked him about his anthem stance. He was scheduled to meet with the Titans earlier this month, but multiple flight cancellations prevented Reid’s visit. He was linked to the Falcons recently after they lost their second starting safety of the year, but they did not pursue him.
Reid, 26, was something of a playmaker during his first two NFL campaigns, as he posted seven total interceptions from 2013-14. While he hasn’t kept up that rate of turnover creation, Reid is still a solid starter, and Pro Football Focus graded him as the league’s No. 30 safety a year ago.
The Panthers’ signing of Reid does not impact his collusion grievance against the NFL, Mike Florio of PFT (on Twitter) hears. Reid is represented by attorney Mark Geragos, the same lawyer representing Kaepernick in his case against the league.