Ravens Receiving Trade Interest On RBs
The Ravens are receiving trade inquiries on their running backs, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. Their revamped backfield currently features second-year pro Ty’Son Williams plus veterans Latavius Murray, Devonta Freeman, and Le’Veon Bell. 
[RELATED: Ravens Elevate RB Le’Veon Bell]
The Ravens’ position group was decimated by injuries to J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, and Justice Hill just before the start of the season. Now, their replacements are drawing interest from teams in advance of the November 2 trade deadline.
Through four games, the Ravens have averaged 164.5 rushing yards per contest, good for fourth in the league. Quarterback Lamar Jackson is responsible for much of their ground game success, but Williams has also impressed with 164 rushing yards and a touchdown off of 27 carries — good for a 6.1 ypc average. Freeman, in a much smaller sample of six attempts, has averaged 6.8 yards per tote. Meanwhile, Murray has three rushing TDs to lead the team.
They’ll all look to advance the Ravens to 4-1 tonight when they face the Colts in Baltimore.
Colts Cut DT Antwaun Woods
The Colts have released defensive tackle Antwaun Woods, per a club announcement. It’s possible that Woods could return to the roster this week after some shuffling, however. The move was effectively made to clear space for recently-promoted quarterback Brett Hundley.
Woods, 28, joined the Colts in May, just after he was released by the Cowboys. The Colts stashed him on the taxi squad to start the year, but promoted him in Week 3. To date, that’s been his only appearance for Indy.
A 32-game Cowboys starter from 2018-20, Woods was brought on for depth behind DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart. Instead, they’ll move forward with two former UDFAs — Taylor Stallworth and Chris Williams — stationed behind their starters.
Known more for his run-stopping abilities than interior pass-rushing work, Woods played 57% of the Cowboys’ snaps in 2018 and worked as a full-time starter. The former UDFA started 10 games in 2019 but saw his role reduced during a woeful Dallas defensive season in 2020.
Giants’ Saquon Barkley Suffers Ankle Injury
Giants running back Saquon Barkley had to be carted off after suffering an ankle injury in the first quarter on Sunday. Barkley was later ruled out for the game, along with quarterback Daniel Jones (concussion protocol) and wide receiver Kenny Golladay (knee). 
Barkley’s left foot bent the wrong way after a collision with Cowboys cornerback Jourdan Lewis. An overhead shot of the injury (Twitter link via Will Brinson of CBS Sports) showed severe swelling. That likely indicates a lateral inversion sprain, according to Dr. David J. Chao (on Twitter). Additional testing will confirm what Barkley is dealing with, but it sounds like he’ll miss a few games at minimum.
Jones was the next star to go after clashing helmets with linebacker Jabrill Cox. Mike Glennon stepped in for Jones, and he may get the call again next week if Jones needs additional time to recover. Now, Golladay has also been ruled out for the game, leaving the Giants offense severely shorthanded. Beyond those three, they’re already without wide receivers Sterling Shepard (hamstring) and Darius Slayton (also hamstring), plus left tackle Andrew Thomas (foot).
The Giants entered today’s game at 1-3, dead last in the NFC East.
Bucs, Tom Brady To Discuss Extension
The Buccaneers have Tom Brady under contract through 2022, but they still intend on discussing an extension with him after this season, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. A fresh deal could give the Bucs additional breathing room in ’22 while cementing Brady as their QB well into his 40s.
Brady’s desire to test Father Time is well documented at this point. So far, the 44-year-old has been victorious, prompting GM Jason Licht to suggest that Brady could play until the of age 50.
“Fifty? That’s a long time. Even for me, that’s a long time,” Brady said earlier this year. “I’ve always said 45 was the age that I wanted to reach and that was my goal. This year I’ll be 44, so next year I’ll be 45. I got a two-year contract. I’m going to be able to obviously play this year and God forbid anything happens but play next year and then see what happens after that.
“If I still want to keep playing, I might be able to do that. And if that’s enough, then that would be enough.”
TB12 isn’t quite as confident as Licht, but La Canfora’s sources say he hasn’t given any thought to hanging ’em up between now and next fall. Brady’s also loving life in Tampa, so there’s little reason for him to seek a third pro team.
The Bucs are currently 3-1 with Brady under center. They’ll look for their next W on Sunday when they welcome the Dolphins to Tampa.
Bills Extend CB Taron Johnson
The Bills have agreed to a three-year extension with Taron Johnson, per a club announcement. The deal could be worth as much as $24MM, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter) with a healthy $14MM guaranteed. 
Johnson was previously on track for free agency in the spring, but the Bills didn’t want to let him get away. The 2018 fourth-rounder has become a key part of Buffalo’s D in recent years. In 2020, he notched 94 stops, seven passes defensed, five tackles for loss, one sack, one forced fumble, and an interception taken back for a touchdown. Then, in the playoffs, he notched another pick six — a 101-yarder — against the Ravens.
“Love that dude,” teammate Micah Hyde said recently (via the team website). “Man, he just does everything for our defense. You’ve got to have a nickel that’s a dog, and that’s him. He’s been showing it the last couple years. Just a great kid, a great guy, who has come a long ways. His growth mentally, on the football field, and even off, just becoming a man. It’s so cool to see a young guy like that coming along. He’s been making a lot of plays in this league for a long time.”
Johnson, 25, has already recorded five passes defensed, one FF, and one sack in three games this year. Now furnished with a new deal, he’ll turn his attention to the Chiefs on Sunday.
Bengals Activate Ricardo Allen
The Bengals have activated safety Ricardo Allen from the injured reserve list. To make room on the roster, they’ve placed guard Xavier Su’a-Filo on IR.
Allen signed with the Bengals in March. Before that, he operated as a first-string safety for the Falcons from 2015-2020, including a start in Super Bowl LI. Despite losing his 2018 season to injury, the 29-year-old was mostly healthy between ’19 and ’20. A hamstring strain coupled with a broken hand forced him to IR in September, but he’s bounced back in time for this week’s game against the Packers. In his 12 games last season, Allen registered 25 stops and a pair of interceptions.
This is familiar territory for Su’a-Filo, who missed ten regular season games last year. Injuries have limited the lineman for years now — from 2018-2020, he’s played in just 25 total contests. This time around, he’s dealing with a knee injury.
Meanwhile, the Bengals have received some good news on Joe Mixon. The running back is trending towards playing in “some capacity” against Green Bay, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero.
NFLPA To Retain DeMaurice Smith
DeMaurice Smith‘s job is safe. This week, Smith got the two-thirds vote he needed from the NFLPA’s 32 player reps, keeping him on as the union’s executive director (Twitter link via Dan Graziano of ESPN.com). 
Per NFLPA bylaws, the union’s top officials get to vote on whether to extend the executive director’s contract. The first vote is cast by the smaller selection committee, which voted unanimously to extend Smith’s deal in 2017. This time around, the selection committee was split 7-7, leaving Smith’s future up to the player reps.
Smith has served as executive director since 2009, but the most recent round of CBA negotiations put him at odds with many players. But, even after agreeing to an additional regular season game in exchange for a larger share of revenue, the union has voted to move forward with Smith.
“The current proposal contains increases across almost every category of wages, hours, working conditions and benefits for former and current players,” Smith said in March of 2020 after the CBA was approved (via the NY Post). “Like any contested negotiation … the proposal also reflects trades with the counterparty which have to be carefully weighed and assessed across the entirety of the deal. Please be confident that I hear — loudly and clearly — those of you who have passionately expressed their perspective that these gains are not enough when weighed against, for example, adding another game.”
“That position reflects how some members have chosen to weigh what aspect of the deal is important to them. The fact is, however, that there are literally hundreds of issues in any [CBA] that affect thousands of circumstances and impact thousands of current and former players which we must consider carefully.”
The current CBA will run through 2030. Smith’s new contract is expected to keep him in place through 2023.
Latest On Seahawks’ Russell Wilson
Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson underwent two surgeries to repair his right middle finger, per an announcement from the team. No timetable was given for his recovery, but the Seahawks say “it is highly anticipated that he will return to play later this season.” 
“Russell Wilson injured his right middle finger during last night’s game versus the Rams,” the statement read. “He sustained two injuries to the finger: an extensor tendon rupture (mallet finger) and a comminuted fracture-dislocation of the proximal interphalangeal joint. He had successful surgery today in Los Angeles by hand specialist Dr. Steven Shin…to repair both injuries. He will start therapy this weekend and it is highly anticipated that he will return to play later this season.”
Dr. Shin echoed those sentiments, adding that he is “fully confident” that Wilson will return this year. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com initially reported that Wilson will be out for about six weeks (Twitter link), though Adam Schefter of ESPN.com hears that Wilson could miss as little as four weeks and could return for Seattle’s Week 10 matchup against the Packers.
One way or another, Wilson’s ironman streak will end at 149 games. The Seahawks will now turn things over to Geno Smith, beginning with their Week 6 tilt against the Steelers. After losing to the Rams, the 2-3 Seahawks are in last place in the NFC West.
Stephon Gilmore: Panthers Trade “Dream Come True”
Stephon Gilmore didn’t get to pick his team, but he couldn’t have asked for a better outcome. Hours after being traded from the Patriots, the cornerback told the team website that playing for the Panthers is a “dream come true.” 
[RELATED: Patriots Trade Stephon Gilmore To Panthers]
“I always wanted to, growing up as a kid,” Gilmore said. “Some things you can’t control. But I always thought about it as a kid, and you always dreamed about it. But it happened, and I’m happy it happened.”
Gilmore spent years pushing the Patriots for a new contract. Ultimately, in vintage Pats fashion, they chose to move on instead. For his part, Gilmore has agreed to table talks until after the season. After that, it sounds like he’d be pretty open to staying in Carolina.
“I think so,” said Gilmore when asked if he’d have signed with the Panthers if he was released this week. “This is a place I always wanted to play. Looking at the team and what they’ve got, the potential. Obviously, you have to put in a lot of hard work to get to where you want to go. For sure, I think it was a great opportunity I would come here.”
Ideally, the Panthers would like to retain both Gilmore and 25-year-old corner Donte Jackson this spring. In the meantime, Gilmore is strictly focused on returning to the field. Still on the PUP list with a quad injury, Gilmore hopes to debut sometime in the next few weeks.
Latest On Seahawks’ Russell Wilson
Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson will have an MRI on his finger and a consultation with a hand specialist later today (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Early tests indicate that Wilson is dealing with mallet finger — a sprained joint that makes it hard to flex a finger. But, even if there’s no fracture, surgery could still be in Wilson’s future. 
Wilson’s hand slammed against the helmet of a Rams defender last night as he was throwing to wide receiver Tyler Lockett. He managed to finish out the drive with a handoff, but could only attempt one pass on the following drive. Wilson was ultmately forced out in the second half, a rare sight for one of the league’s few ironmen.
Up until that point, Wilson completed 11 of his 16 throws for 152 yards and a touchdown with one interception. He was replaced by backup Geno Smith, who completed each of his five pass attempts en route to a touchdown on his first drive of the game. Smith later threw the interception that sealed the game for the Rams, but that pick couldn’t be pinned on him as Lockett tripped en route to the ball.
If Wilson is forced to miss any time thanks to the injury, it will be the first regular season game he’ll sit out since entering the league in 2012. Smith stands the only other QB on the depth chart, but he hasn’t started a game since 2017. For now, Smith seems likely to start for the Seahawks next week while practice squader Jake Luton could be called up to hold the clipboard.