Dolphins Willing To Trade Jarvis Landry?
Even after trading Jay Ajayi to the Eagles on Tuesday morning, the Dolphins might not be done making deals. Jarvis Landry is available for the right price, Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald (on Twitter) hears. Meanwhile, the Fins told Landry they are not trading him, a source tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 
[RELATED: Dolphins Trade Jay Ajayi To Eagles]
There have been questions about Landry’s long-term future with the Dolphins, despite the fact that he has cleared 1,000 yards in each of the last two seasons. Landry lobbied for an extension this offseason, but the Dolphins did not put an offer on the table, preferring to wait and see how he would perform in his walk year. The Dolphins like Landry, but the feeling is that a lucrative long-term deal for Landry could prevent them from locking up DeVante Parker down the line. Landry’s off-the-field incident with the mother of his child also didn’t help matters, though he has been cleared of charges for that and will not be suspended by the league.
Landry is scheduled for free agency after the season. He’d be a tremendous rental with an option to commit for a contender.
Through seven games, the LSU product has 50 catches for 398 yards and three scores. Although his 8.0 yards per catch average is frighteningly low, Miami’s phone should be ringing off the hook on Halloween.
One thing to keep in mind for any prospective Landry deal is this – the Dolphins would be in line for a compensatory pick if they were to lose him in free agency this spring. For the Dolphins to trade Landry away, they’ll need a return that is markedly better than what they’d be getting in that scenario.
Jets WR Jeremy Kerley Suspended
The Jets are losing Jeremy Kerley to suspension. It’s not clear how long the ban is for or what policy Kerley has broken. Presumably, Kerley will not be in action on Thursday night when the Jets face the Bills in New Jersey. 
In his second go ’round with the Jets, Kerley has served as the No. 3 receiver behind Robby Anderson and Jermaine Kearse as well as their punt returner. The loss of Kerley could prompt the Jets to look for help at receiver, but it’s more likely that they’ll make a depth signing while getting rookies ArDarius Stewart and Chad Hansen more involved.
So far this year, Kerley has 22 catches for 217 yards and one touchdown to his credit.
Dolphins Trade Jay Ajayi To Eagles
The Dolphins have traded Jay Ajayi to the Eagles, according to announcements from both teams. Miami will receive a fourth-round pick in exchange for the running back. 
Ajayi goes from the middling Dolphins to the first place Eagles to help shore up their running game. Heading into the season, Ajayi was viewed as one of the league’s most talented young backs, so the deal comes as an absolute shock. The Eagles are giving up very little for the 24-year-old in light of the numbers that he put up in 2016. Ajayi is also a bargain for this year and beyond. His contract calls for a $670K cap charge this year and a $760K cap charge in the following season. He does not have a fifth-year option at the end of his rookie deal since he’s a fifth-round pick, but the Eagles have plenty of time to lock him up between now and the spring of 2019, if they choose to do so.
Through seven games, Ajayi has not been quite as productive as expected. He has 465 yards off of 138 carries, good for a 3.4 yards per carry average. He also added 14 catches for 67 yards. He has yet to see the end zone either via the air or ground. That’s not necessarily a reflection on Ajayi, however, since Miami’s offense has been anything but stable this year. The Dolphins lured Jay Cutler out of his brief retirement to fill in for Ryan Tannehill, but Cutler’s rib injury led to Matt Moore taking over as the starter. As evidenced by Thursday night’s 40-0 blowout, that doesn’t make for an effective offense.
In Philadelphia, Ajayi is expected to team up with LeGarrette Blount to split lead back duties. So far this year, Blount has been the superior back with 467 yards off of 100 carries, giving him a strong 4.7 yards per carry average. He’s also found paydirt three times in total.
Next up for Ajayi and the Eagles is a Sunday tilt against the Broncos. After that, Philly’s newest acquisition gets a bye week before facing the rival Cowboys in Week 11.
Eagles Work Out LB Dannell Ellerbe
The Eagles worked out former Saints linebacker Dannell Ellerbe, according to a source who spoke with ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). Ellerbe could help fill in for linebacker Jordan Hicks after he went down with an Achilles injury. 
Ellerbe, who turns 32 at the end of November, is in search of his fourth NFL team since entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2009. Ellerbe has shown his talent on the field, but injuries have slowed him over the years. The veteran has played in just 77 games out of 128 possible regular season contests with the Ravens, Dolphins, and Saints.
This year, the Saints cut Ellerbe while he was held back with a foot injury. New Orleans opted to eat $1.7MM in dead money rather than keep him on the roster, which speaks to his condition at the time. If he is healthy, however, he could be a contributor for Philly or another club in the second half of the season. The 7-1 Eagles are in the middle of the pack (No. 16) in terms of defensive DVOA.
Ellerbe racked up 68 tackles, four sacks (all of which came in 2016) and a forced fumble during his 15-game, 12-start tenure with New Orleans.
Jaguars Designate Dede Westbrook For Return
The Jaguars have officially designated wide receiver Dede Westbrook for return. The team now has 21 days to activate him to the 53-man roster or otherwise shut him down for the season. 
[RELATED: Jaguars Interested In Calvin Johnson?]
Westbrook was placed on IR with a core injury prior to the team’s Week 1 game. The hope from the get-go was that he would be able to return midway through the season and it appears that he is on schedule.
Per league rules, each team can designate to two players to return from IR each season. If an IR-DTR player is not placed on the roster within the three week window, the bullet is still used. So, if Westbrook is not activated to the 53-man roster within 21 days for some reason, the Jaguars will have only one IR-DTR opportunity remaining.
The Jaguars could use some extra oomph on offense – they’re even said to be interested in trading for Calvin Johnson, if he’s willing to play again – so they’ll be happy to have Westbrook in the mix.
Westbrook, an Oklahoma product, was selected with a fourth-round pick in this year’s draft. He had 80 grabs for 1,524 yards and 17 scores last year, catapulting him to fourth place in Heisman voting.
Vikings Claim RB Mack Brown Off Waivers
The Vikings have claimed running back Mack Brown off waivers, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. The Redskins released Brown earlier this week, giving the league’s other 31 teams a chance to poach him. 
[RELATED: Vikings’ Teddy Bridgewater On Verge Of Return]
The addition of Brown could serve two purposes for Minnesota. For one, he’ll give them depth behind Latavius Murray and Jerick McKinnon. He could also give the Vikings some valuable recon in advance of their Nov. 12 showdown in D.C.
The Vikings were left with only two healthy true running backs following injuries to Dalvin Cook and Bishop Sankey. Fullback C.J. Ham, however, has been on hand for snaps in the backfield.
Brown, 26, has only eight carries for 29 yards on the season. Last year, he had eight attempts for 82 yards and one score.
Jaguars, Eagles Interested In Calvin Johnson?
As of this writing, wide receiver Calvin Johnson is still retired. But, if he decided to play again, it sounds like the Lions would be open to trading his rights between now and Tuesday’s deadline. If Megatron can be coaxed out of retirement, the Jaguars would have interest in acquiring him, ESPN.com’s Chris Mortensen (video link) hears. The “speculation” is that the Eagles would also be among those to look into acquiring Johnson. 
Even if Johnson does have the itch to play again, there would be a number of hurdles for all parties to work through. The wide receiver’s contract runs through 2019 and includes a cap number $21MM for this year. He’ll also have to pass a physical on the first try and that’s not a slam dunk given how long he has been away from the game.
Any team getting into bed with Megatron will also want to know that he is firmly committed to playing football. He has been asked about a potential return at various points but has denied any interest.
“I’m not coming back, man,” Johnson said back in December. “Look, man. I got stuff that’s going to hurt for the rest of my life. I got a finger that’s literally bone-on-bone. This bad boy, it gets smaller. The more and more I do, it grinds bone-on-bone. Literally from last year, I went this year to get another X-Ray and this is after I retired, I knew it was messed up but I didn’t know to what degree because it was hurt.”
The 7-1 Eagles could use a pass catcher like Johnson, but they might want to put their resources towards acquiring a left tackle instead. The 4-3 Jaguars, meanwhile, have already taken on a sizable contract by acquiring former Bills defensive tackle Marcell Dareus.
Broncos Activate Shane Ray
Shane Ray is officially back .The Broncos have moved him to the active roster in advance of Monday night’s game against the Chiefs. He’ll be in the starting lineup to boot, according to Mike Klis of 9News (Twitter link). 
The Broncos first announced their intention to restore Ray from injured reserve in mid-October. After six weeks on the sidelines and two weeks in practice, he’s now allowed to play, per league rules. Doctors have also cleared him to play now that the torn ligament in his left wrist has healed up.
Ray enjoyed a breakout season in 2016, registering 48 tackles and eight sacks in 664 snaps. Only two Denver linebackers – Von Miller and Todd Davis – saw more action than Ray last year. He ranked an above-average 45th in overall performance among Pro Football Focus’ 110 qualified edge defenders.
For his part, Ray says he’s been champing at the bit to play.
“Been losing a little bit of sleep over it,” Ray said earlier this week, with a grin (via Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post). “I just want to get back out there with my brothers and just make some plays. I think I can bring a spark to this team defensively and try to create some turnovers, some fumbles, some sacks, and I think that just helps our defense all around.”
Bears LB Jerrell Freeman Suspended
Bears linebacker Jerrell Freeman has been suspended once again for violating the NFL’s policy on performance enhancing drugs, the league announced. This time around, it’s a ten-game ban. 
Freeman suffered a torn pectoral muscle on the first play of Bears’ opener against the Falcons in Week 1. He was placed on injured reserve after the game, but he remarkably still played roughly 95 percent of the Bears’ defensive snaps and racked up 10 tackles in their 23-17 defeat.
The linebacker was likely done for the year anyway, but this new ban seals the deal since there are just eight games left in the year. His suspension begins immediately, per the NFL, so he will not receive his salary while on IR.
Freeman has now accrued two PED bans inside of a year. This latest suspension will cost Freeman upwards of $2MM in take-home pay.
Freeman will be eligible to play early in 2018, but this could be the end of the line for him in the NFL. In a statement released on Twitter, Freeman explained that he has been dealing with a significant head injury. That injury, he says, led him to self-medicate with pills that triggered his positive test.
“I hate to [say] I’m sorry again but I am sorry. I’ve been on IR all year and you try and stay out of sight, but sorry for the distraction. I had been lying to friends, family, and loved ones when it came to the question of, “Are you okay?,” Freeman wrote. “Knowing my career may be over due [to] everything that came with the head injury {that’s been purposely downplayed by me), memory loss and all, has actually been a bit of a struggle. That being said, there’s no excuse to cope with any problems by taking any kind of pills. I don’t know my future but a big thanks to the Bears and the NFL, if I would have used their programs and services earlier than I did, I wouldn’t be in this situation. Sorry again for the distraction.”
Chiefs Activate CB Steven Nelson Off IR
The Chiefs announced that they have activated cornerback Steven Nelson off of injured reserve. Kansas City first decided to bring Nelson back last week, but it’s now official. 
A core muscle injury sidelined Nelson in the summer, forcing KC to park him on IR for the first two months of the season. Now that he’s served his time, the Chiefs are using one of their two IR-DTR spots to bring him back.
Nelson, 24, started for the Chiefs last season and he could slide back into his old job rather quickly. Terrance Mitchell has filled in as a starting corner for Kansas City, but he’s struggled (No. 85 CB per Pro Football Focus), so Nelson would be the obvious choice to take over, provided that he is near 100% healthy.
Last year, Nelson played 90% of Kansas City’s defensive snaps opposite Marcus Peters. In his 15 games (14 starts), he had 64 tackles, two fumble recoveries, and 16 passes defensed.
The 5-2 Chiefs will face the Broncos on Monday night. If they win, they’ll enter a three-way tie with the Patriots and the Steelers for the top record in the AFC.