NFL, Ezekiel Elliott Discussing Settlement
It’s not just fans that are growing weary of the back-and-forth between Ezekiel Elliott and the NFL. In the midst of a protracted legal battle, the two sides have discussed the possibility of a settlement, David Moore of the Dallas Morning News writes. 
Elliott is adamant about clearing his name and, of course, not serving the six-game ban handed to him by the league. The NFL, meanwhile, doesn’t want its disciplinary powers to be weakened. To save time, money, and energy, the answer could be to shake hands on an agreement that has the Cowboys running back serve a shorter suspension effective immediately.
The settlement talks have been going on for a while, with dialogue happening behind the scenes after each court ruling along the way, one source tells Moore. At previous stops, the league may have felt that it had the upper hand and shied away from a compromise. But, currently, things feel pretty neutral thanks to the temporary restraining order that Elliott has been granted.
For now, all we know is that the TRO should allow Elliott to suit up against the Niners this weekend and against the Redskins the following week. Beyond that, his status remains murky.
Lions Claim QB Brad Kaaya
The Lions have claimed quarterback Brad Kaaya off waivers and signed a pair of players – defensive end Jacquies Smith and offensive tackle Bryce Harris, per Field Yates of ESPN.com and Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com (Twitter links). To make room, the Lions have cut defensive linemen George Johnson, Datone Jones and Caraun Reid.
Kaaya first broke into the league as a sixth-round pick of Detroit in 2016. Although he didn’t have the arm strength of others in his class, scouts were enamored with his football IQ and poise. When he was displaced from the Lions’ roster in early September, the Panthers were there waiting to grab him off of waivers. Now, he’s back where he started after the Panthers booted him in favor of Garrett Gilbert.
Smith, 27, was a serviceable edge rusher for the Buccaneers (13.5 sacks combined in 2014 and 2015) before a torn ACL shut him down just one game into the 2016 season. This fall, he was cut by Tampa Bay, freeing him up to try out for the Lions this week.
Johnson spent the 2014 season with the Lions and proved to be an effective edge rusher. They circled back to him this year and they were optimistic about what he could do.
“He’s still the same guy that works extremely hard, heavy-handed guy that can make some things happen and the rest of it we’ll see,” coach Jim Caldwell said in September. “I mean, he had an outstanding year that year, and those are hard to duplicate, but he will contribute to our team.”
Johnson had six sacks for the Lions in 2014, but he recorded just two tackles in four games for them this year.
Jones signed with Detroit on October 10, but did not suit up for the Lions in their last game. He never got to actually play for the Lions, but on the plus side, he can say that he has been with three of the NFC North’s four teams.
Seahawks To Place Cliff Avril On IR
It sounds like Cliff Avril’s season might be over. Coach Pete Carroll says the defensive end will be placed on injured reserve (Twitter link via SiriusXM). Avril is said to be considering retirement, so this sounds like the season-ending variety of IR rather than an eight-week stint. 
[RELATED: Branden Albert Declines Seahawks’ Offer]
Avril was initially said to be dealing with a “serious stinger,” but the problem goes much further than that. The 31-year-old experienced numbness in his arm, a sign that he could be have a much more serious problem.
Avril appeared in 63 of 64 games for the Seahawks from 2013-16 and racked up 33.5 sacks during that time. Losing him will be a tough blow for Seattle, particularly given the lackluster play they’ve gotten out of the defensive line so far this year. At the same time, Avril has not been playing up to his usual level. He has actually been among the league’s worst edge defenders (among those with enough snaps to qualify), per Pro Football Focus.
Setback For Colts QB Andrew Luck
Andrew Luck has suffered a major setback in his recovery and, for the first time this year, the Colts are leaving the door open to the possibility that he could land on injured reserve. At a surprise press conference on Wednesday, GM Chris Ballard announced that Andrew Luck will not be able to practice this week after experiencing soreness in his shoulder. 
The belief was that Luck could conceivably return in early November, but that seems impossible given the latest news. Instead of practicing, the Colts’ franchise quarterback will receive a cortisone shot and cease all football activities.
With Jacoby Brissett under center, the Colts are off to a 2-4 start. Heading into a date with the Jekyll & Hyde Jaguars and no timetable on Luck’s return, the Colts have reason to fear that this could be a lost season.
Hindsight is 20/20, but one has to wonder why the Colts did not fortify their backup quarterback situation in the offseason. Brissett has done his best to adapt to the new system on the fly, but there has been a significant dropoff on offense.
DRC: I Never Asked Giants For Trade
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie clashed with Giants coach Ben McAdoo in a big way last week. But, the cornerback says that he never asked for a trade (Twitter link via Ralph Vacchiano of SNY). 
DRC wasn’t acting like someone who wanted to stay with the Giants last Wednesday when he bailed on a defensive meeting, cleaned out his locker, and left the team’s facility. When asked about why he did that, the veteran downplayed the significance of his actions.
“I’m dramatic. I’m crazy,” Rodgers-Cromartie said.
Rodgers-Cromartie was banned indefinitely after four separate blowups with the team, including his choice to storm off the field in the midst of the team’s loss to the Chargers. But, on Tuesday, the Giants formally ended his ban. DRC probably isn’t McAdoo’s favorite person in the world right now, but the 1-5 Giants had little choice but to bring him back this week.
Should things sour between DRC and McAdoo again, the Giants may want to keep the Oct. 31 trade deadline in mind.
Browns Demote Kevin Hogan To No. 3 QB
Things just keep getting weirder in Cleveland. The Browns have demoted last week’s starting quarterback Kevin Hogan to the third string, according to Field Yates and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Meanwhile, former No. 3 QB Cody Kessler has been elevated to No. 2 QB. 
The Browns threw everyone a curveball in Week 6 when they benched rookie DeShone Kizer in favor of Hogan. On Wednesday morning, the Browns switched them back. Hogan did not perform well against Houston on Sunday, but it’s strange to see him cycled through the depth chart so quickly.
The bizarre shuffling of the QBs won’t do much to silence talk of discord between coach Hue Jackson and the front office. Jackson was a big proponent of riding with Kizer through his rookie mistakes this year. Meanwhile, the front office is high on Kessler, but it was said that Jackson did not plan to play him.
With Kessler now installed as the main backup, Kizer will return to his role as the starter this Sunday when the Browns face the Titans.
Redskins’ Jonathan Allen Done For Season
Jonathan Allen‘s rookie season is already over. The defensive lineman’s Lisfranc injury will rule him out the rest of the way, John Keim of ESPN.com (Twitter link) hears. The Redskins will place Allen on injured reserve this week. 
Initially, the Redskins believed that Allen’s foot issue would keep him out for only 3-4 weeks. However, further testing revealed that the injury was more serious.
It’s a frustrating setback for Allen, particularly given his history of injuries in college. In his five games this year, Allen showed lots of promise and graded out as a higher-end interior defender, per the metrics at Pro Football Focus. He had ten total tackles and one sack in his abbreviated campaign.
If not for his health issues, Allen might have been a top five pick in the 2017 draft. But, because of concerns about his shoulders, the Redskins were able to scoop him up at No. 17 overall. His future is bright, but Allen will have to put everything on hold until the offseason.
With Allen sidelined, the Redskins will lean a bit more on reserve defensive end Matthew Ioannidis and nose tackle Stacy McGee. As detailed by PFF, Ioannidis looked sharp against San Francisco on Sunday, ending the day with two sacks, one hit, and three additional QB hurries. Ioannidis has 20 total pressures this season off of just 121 pass-rushing snaps.
While the Redskins have options to plug from within, they’ll add a defensive lineman for depth, at the very least. They may also explore some veteran options.
The Redskins are 3-2 after topping the 49ers. Next up is a Monday night game against the Eagles in Philadelphia.
Latest On Rift Between Browns’ Execs, Coach
Publicly, all of the Browns’ key players are saying the right things. But, with more and more stories coming out about discord between coach Hue Jackson and team brass, it’s apparent that something isn’t right in Cleveland. 
[RELATED: Browns To Start DeShone Kizer]
Jackson came to the Browns prior to the 2016 season with a vow to win right off of the bat and said the team would not rebuild, but “retool.” With that in mind, Jackson and his staff were miffed this offseason when the Browns shipped linebacker Demario Davis back to the Jets and released cornerback Joe Haden, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com hears.
Through six weeks, Davis is third in the NFL in tackles with 53. Haden, meanwhile, is playing quality football with the Steelers. The Browns, still searching for their first win heading into Sunday’s game against the Titans, could use some players like that.
The rift between the coaching staff and the front office could result in a shakeup at the executive level, though the Browns deny reports of shopping for executives. Peyton Manning‘s name has come up as a potential GM candidate for the Browns, but Cabot hears that the QB’s recent trip to Cleveland was not for the purpose of discussing the job.
If Manning – a good friend of owner Jimmy Haslam – winds up as the team’s next GM, the Browns still might want to surround him with experienced execs. The Browns are currently guided by Executive Vice President of Football Operations Sashi Brown (effectively the GM), Chief Strategy Officer Paul DePodesta, and Vice President of Player Personnel Andrew Berry. None of those three have a track record of assembling a winning football team and DePodesta’s background is in a different sport entirely.
Browns To Start DeShone Kizer
DeShone Kizer‘s stint as the Browns’ No. 2 quarterback did not last long. The rookie has been reinstated as the team’s starting QB in advance of Sunday’s game against the Titans. The news was first reported by Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). She says that Cleveland will “ride with [Kizer] as long as possible.” 
At the start of the season, coach Hue Jackson said the team would be patient with the rookie and allow him to remain the starter even if he struggled. Last week, after an 0-5 start, the Browns abandoned that plan and handed the reins over to Kevin Hogan. Unfortunately, Hogan did not fare well against Houston – he completed 20 of 37 passes for just 140 yards, with one touchdown and against three interceptions.
On the surface, it seems that the winless Browns wanted to find out whether they had a better win-now option in Hogan. However, many will surmise that the Browns benched Kizer last week in order to avoid a direct comparison between him and Deshaun Watson. Watson, like Carson Wentz last year, is showing real promise as a rookie and is looking like the one that got away for Cleveland. That’s a source of frustration for fans, team ownership, and Jackson, who reportedly pushed the team to take Watson.
Redskins K Dustin Hopkins Placed On IR
Redskins kicker Dustin Hopkins is being placed on injured reserve with a strained rotator muscle in his right hip, a source tells JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington (on Twitter). 
With Hopkins out, the Redskins are auditioning replacements. Andrew Franks, Marshall Koehn, Mike Nugent, and Nick Rose all showed their stuff in D.C. on Tuesday, Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link) reports. Franks, Koehn, and Nugent are well acquainted after they all participated in the Buccaneers’ workout last week.
Hopkins connected on 9 of 11 field goal attempts this season. In Sunday’s game against the Niners, he connected on tries from 21 and 48 yards, though he missed one extra point try.