Raiders Fire DC Ken Norton
The Raiders have fired defensive coordinator Ken Norton, according to Mike Silver and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). John Pagano, who previously held the title of Assistant Head Coach/Defense, will take over. 
“After careful thought, I have made a difficult decision to part ways with Ken Norton, Jr. as defensive coordinator,” said head coach Jack Del Rio in a statement released by the team. “I have the utmost respect for Ken as a person and as a coach, but I feel that moving John Pagano into the play-calling role will best utilize his wealth of experience. I appreciate Ken’s passion and commitment to the Raiders since coming aboard and wish him the best going forward.”
Norton has been popular in the Raiders locker room since joining the team in 2015. However, the results have not been to the Raiders’ satisfaction, particularly this year. The Raiders rank dead last in defensive DVOA and that goes a long way towards explaining their 4-6 record. The Raiders were handed a bad loss on Sunday after allowing the Patriots to score 33 points, though the offense didn’t exactly help the cause either (eight points).
It’s fair to wonder if Norton’s dismissal will cure what ails the defense, particularly since Del Rio has such a heavy hand in play calling. Also, the absence of first-round cornerback Gareon Conley has hurt the team’s passing defense, and that’s a factor that was out of Norton’s control.
The Raiders hired Norton after considering big names such as Mike Smith and Wade Phillips. Reportedly, a lack of money and play-calling control led some candidates to withdraw from consideration.
Texans Claim RB Andre Ellington
The Texans have claimed Andre Ellington off waivers, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Cardinals released the running back on Monday, giving the league’s other 31 teams a chance to snag him.
Ellington will help provide depth to a badly depleted group in Houston. Rookie D’Onta Foreman landed on injured reserve this week with a torn Achilles, joining Tyler Ervin (knee). Meanwhile, Alfred Blue‘s status is unclear due to a lingering hamstring injury. Ellington will slot in as one of three fully healthy backs along with starter Lamar Miller and reserve Jordan Todman.
Ellington, cousin of Texans wide receiver Bruce Ellington, had just 15 carries for 53 yards before his release from Arizona. He did, however, have 33 receptions for 297 yards. He could prove to be a nice complement to Miller, even if he’s not as effective of a runner as he once was. In his first two NFL seasons, Ellington ran for 1,312 yards on 319 carries and caught 85 passes for 766 yards.
The 4-6 Texans were No. 8 in line to claim Ellington based on the inverse of the standings. This means the Browns, 49ers, Giants, Bears, Broncos, Colts, and Bengals all passed on claiming the 28-year-old.
Falcons Waive CB Jalen Collins
The Falcons have waived cornerback Jalen Collins, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Collins will be subject to waivers, meaning that the league’s other 31 teams will have an opportunity to add him to the roster on Wednesday afternoon. 
Collins was set to return from a 10-game suspension this week. The former second-round pick is undeniably talented, but the Falcons are fed up after the 24-year-old’s second ban for performance enhancing drugs as a pro.
Collins’ off-the-field issues date back to his days at LSU. In 2015, he was on course to be a first-round selection, but teams moved him down the board because of his red flags. After the draft, he admitted to failing at least three drug tests at LSU.
Thanks to the aforementioned suspensions and injury, Collins has appeared in just 24 games since entering the league in 2015. Last year, Collins started in six of his eight games and hauled in two interceptions and 31 total tackles.
His latest slip-up was unfortunate, but the Falcons were already planning to start a healthy Desmond Trufant and Robert Alford at cornerback. Over the summer, Collins found himself working with Atlanta’s third string CBs.
Lions Waive DT Khyri Thornton
The Lions announced that they have waived defensive tackle Khyri Thornton. Thornton was activated from suspension just under a month ago, but he has not been effective since returning to action. 
The bad news may have put a damper on Thornton’s 28th birthday. The former third-round pick will be subject to the waiver wire, but he can sign with any team of his choosing if he is not claimed on Wednesday afternoon.
It’s somewhat unlikely that he is claimed since he has not looked all that great in his four games this year. Then again, teams may be more inclined to roll the dice on him since his remaining guarantees were voided by the PED ban. He’s currently in the midst of a two-year, $3.3MM deal, but he can be released without any real financial penalty after the season.
Last year, Thornton made 13 appearances for Detroit, including six starts. He registered his first career sack and racked up 19 tackles, leading the Lions to give him a new deal.
Redskins Add Four To Roster
After a rash of injuries, the Redskins are calling for backup. The Redskins announced that they have promoted linebacker Pete Robertson, nose tackle A.J. Francis, and running back LeShun Daniels from the practice squad. The team also signed center Demetrius Rhaney while placing fellow center Spencer Long (quad) on injured reserve. 
The Redskins had several spots to fill after putting Long, wide receiver Terrelle Pryor, and running back Chris Thompson on IR. Meanwhile, the Redskins have even more depth concerns. Center Chase Roullier had hand surgery on Monday and tells reporters that he will be out at least a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, linebackers Martrell Spaight and Zach Brown have both been spotted with walking boots.
Washington will have to dig deep and find a way to survive all of the injuries in order to keep its slim playoff hopes alive. At 4-6, the simulations at Football Outsiders peg the Redskins with just a 9% chance of making the postseason.
49ers Release Datone Jones
The 49ers have released defensive end Datone Jones, as Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee tweets. The move may create room on the roster for the return of defensive end Tank Carradine. 
Jones joined up with the Niners in late October, marking his third NFL team of the season. The former first round pick was cut by Vikings during the preseason and cut loose by the Lions one month ago in order to bring in quarterback Brad Kaaya. Despite his trio of stops this year, Jones’ only action came with the Niners. In a reserve role, Jones totaled six tackles in three games.
The release of Jones comes one day after the Niners claimed former Jaguars defensive lineman Sheldon Day off waivers. Day apparently has lots of believers around the NFL – at least three other teams put in claims on the second-year pro.
Bengals To Re-Sign DT Pat Sims
Pat Sims is back, and Bengals fans didn’t even get a chance to really miss him. After waiving Sims on Saturday, the Bengals are set to re-sign the defensive tackle, according to Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer. It is expected that defensive tackle Josh Tupou will be released to make room.
Sims was ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Broncos with a calf injury, which perhaps explains the team’s crafty move to drop him and then add him again days later. In theory, the Bengals could have lost the 31-year-old to waivers since even vested veterans go on the wire after the trading deadline, but he went unclaimed in the 24-hour window. It is believed that Sims will be ready to go against the Browns this week, Owczarski hears.
Sims has made seven starts for the Bengals this season, but it will be interesting to see how he is used upon his return. Against Denver, second-year player Andrew Billings played 52% of the defensive tackle snaps against the Broncos. Meanwhile, the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus indicate that Sims has been among the worst interior defenders in the league.
Texans, Lions, Cardinals Liked Sheldon Day
On Monday, the 49ers used their high waiver priority to snag defensive tackle Sheldon Day. They weren’t the only team with interest in him, however. The Texans, Lions, and Cardinals also tried to claim him, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
It seems that several teams in the league have been keeping an eye on the former fourth-round pick out of Notre Dame. Day hasn’t done a whole lot in his one-and-a-half NFL seasons, notching just eleven tackles and two sacks. However, he led the Fighting Irish in quarterback pressures (13), tackles for a loss (15.5), and touchdown-saving tackles (9) in his final year on campus.
The Texans would have loved to get a good look at Day, particularly after losing defensive lineman J.J. Watt and backup Christian Covington for the season. Ditto for the Lions who are without defensive tackles Haloti Ngata and Jordan Hill plus defensive end Kerry Hyder. However, the 1-9 49ers beat them all to the punch in order to reunite Day with defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.
By assuming his rookie contract, the 49ers have gained contractual control of Day through the 2019 season. However, if he gets cut at some point between now and then, the Texans, Lions, and Cardinals will be among the teams to keep an eye on.
Steelers Activate CB Cameron Sutton
The Steelers activated cornerback Cameron Sutton from injured reserve, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). The 2017 third-round pick may finally make his NFL debut here in November. 
Sutton’s arrival comes at a good time as Joe Haden will likely be sidelined through at least Week 13. For now, Pittsburgh’s CB’s group is comprised of Artie Burns, Mike Hilton, William Gay, Coty Sensabaugh, Sutton, and fellow rookie Brian Allen.
At Tennessee, Sutton was a starter throughout his four-year collegiate career, setting a school-record in passes defended along the way. Unfortunately, he lost about half of his senior season to a broken ankle. Had he left school after his junior year, he probably would have gone higher in the draft. His potential loss is the Steelers’ gain, however, and they’ll finally find out what they have in their third-round selection.
After trouncing the Titans on Thursday night, the Steelers are tied with the Patriots at 8-2 for the AFC lead. Next up for Pittsburgh is a Sunday night tilt against the Packers.
Saints To Sign CB Sterling Moore
The Saints are signing cornerback Sterling Moore, according to a source who spoke with Herbie Teope of the Times-Picayune (on Twitter). Terms of the deal are not yet known, but it’s presumably a one-year pact for the prorated portion of the veteran’s minimum. 
Moore began the year with the Saints but was let go in late October after being slowed by a pectoral injury. His two appearances in the fall marked his only action of the season.
The 27-year-old has bounced around the league since his 2011-12 stay with the Patriots. He mostly started for the Cowboys, Bucs, and Saints from 2014-2016, but he’s more of a role player at this stage of his career. He’s expected to provide depth for the Saints the rest of the way behind starting corners Marshon Lattimore and Ken Crawley and may see some time at safety as well.