Jaguars Claim WR Jaelen Strong Off Waivers
The Jaguars have claimed wide receiver Jaelen Strong off waivers from the Texans, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). Strong was released by Houston on Monday. 
Because he is not yet a vested veteran, Strong was subject to the waiver wire. With one of the league’s worst records last year, the Jaguars had higher waiver priority than most.
Jacksonville is hoping that Strong will flash some of the skills that made him a third round pick in 2015 draft. So far, he hasn’t done much in the NFL. In his final game as a member of the Texans, he drew zero targets despite the team being paper thin at receiver.
But, at Arizona State, he had 82 catches for 1,165 yards and ten touchdowns in his final season on campus. He’s a 6’3″ target with the strength to push away defenders, so he can make plays happen even though he doesn’t have tremendous speed.
Strong will provide depth for a WR group that is without Allen Robinson for the remainder of the year and without rookie Dede Westbrook for at least six more games.
Dolphins Suspend LB Lawrence Timmons
The Dolphins announced they have suspended linebacker Lawrence Timmons indefinitely. Timmons went AWOL on the team prior to the Week 2 game against the Chargers. 
It’s not immediately clear whether the team will work with Timmons to facilitate a return. Per the terms of the CBA, Miami can suspend him for up to four games for conduct detrimental to the team. If that happens, the remaining guarantees in the veteran’s contract will void. That would free the Dolphins from the rest of the two-year, $12MM deal he inked in the offseason.
Timmons apparently skipped town to visit the mother of his child in Pennsylvania. He did not notify the team of his plans beforehand, causing the club to file a missing persons report with police.
Until Sunday, Timmons had not missed a game since 2009. It sounds like he’ll be missing several more, unless he can make good with team brass.
Browns Place WR Corey Coleman On IR
The Browns have officially placed Corey Coleman on injured reserve, the club announced today.
Coleman, a second-year pro, has suffered a broken hand in each of the last two seasons. The injury will likely keep him on the shelf for six-to-eight weeks, so an IR stint was the logical move for Cleveland.
In ten games last year, the former first-round pick had 33 catches for 413 yards and three touchdowns. When he was at his best, Coleman was one of the few bright spots for the Browns during a trying year. The Browns were hoping for a reprise this year, particularly because high-priced free agent Kenny Britt has been struggling.
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Panthers Place TE Greg Olsen On IR
It’s official – the Panthers have placed tight end Greg Olsen on injured reserve. This was viewed as the most likely scenario after Olsen broke his foot over the weekend. 
“The only thing that he has to do now is heal,” trainer Ryan Vermillion said in a statement released by the team. “I know Greg will be around and he’ll be involved. He’s a team guy. He’ll try to do everything he can to help this team continue to win.”
Of course, the NFL’s modified IR rules will allow for Olsen to return later this year. Teams are permitted to bring two players back from IR each season, provided that the player misses eight weeks of games. If Olsen recovers quickly, he could be ready to resume football activities in six weeks, so he’ll have time to get ready before a potential return in November.
The Panthers will miss Olsen, particularly after they managed only nine points in their Week 2 win over the Bills. Through two games, the Panthers have averaged 174.5 yards through the air, putting them in the bottom third of the league.
Last year, Olsen had 80 catches for 1,072 yards and three touchdowns. It was his third consecutive season with 1,000 yards or more.
To take Olsen’s place, the Panthers will promote fullback Alex Armah from the practice squad.
Redskins Players Unhappy With Su’a Cravens
Despite having two injured safeties, the Redskins barred Su’a Cravens from playing this season by placing him on the reserve/left team list. The decision was perplexing for some fans, but Redskins players were frustrated with the second-year player, Mike Jones of The Washington Post hears. 
Cravens disrupted the Redskins’ plans in a major way when he made his surprising decision to retire so close to the start of the season. The team’s decision makers were irked by the move and that feeling apparently extended to the locker room.
Cravens flip-flopped on his decision hours later, but it still wasn’t clear afterwards whether he was ready to resume playing football. He made plans to report to the team on Tuesday, but the Redskins were not convinced that he mentally prepared to get back on the field and never agreed to that plan.
Apparently, Cravens’ actions over the weekend further hurt his standing with the club. On Saturday, Cravens attended the USC-Texas game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to cheer on his former Trojan teammates. When Washington took on the Rams on Sunday at the Coliseum, Cravens did not return to support the Redskins. Both the Redskins’ front office and the Redskins’ locker room took notice.
Things can always change, but right now, it sounds like the Redskins are ready to move on from Cravens altogether. Cravens, meanwhile, has the option to fight the designation by filing a non-injury grievance, Jim Trotter of ESPN.com tweets.
South Notes: Saints, Vaccaro, Colts
Saints coach Sean Payton downplayed the trade rumors surrounding safety Kenny Vaccaro this week, noting that it’s not unusual for other teams to call about positions of depth (Twitter link via Joel A. Erickson of The Advocate). Another source echoed similar sentiments to Mike Triplett of ESPN.com, pointing out that it only makes sense for the Saints to listen on Vaccaro since he is in the final year of his deal and they might not be willing to spend big money to keep him. Still, second-year pro Vonn Bell took Vaccaro’s place in the lineup on Sunday and that’s not a good sign for his standing in the organization.
More from the South divisions:
- Colts wide receiver Donte Moncrief is in his contract year but he’ll have to step up his play if he wants to get paid this offseason, Stephen Holder of the Indy Star writes. On Sunday, Moncrief caught just two of his eight targets and blew three opportunities for key first downs. His injury history also doesn’t help matters – he missed seven games a shoulder injury in 2016 and sat out the bulk of training camp this year with an injury to the other shoulder. Moncrief, a third-round pick in 2014, is carrying a modest $1.932MM cap number this year.
- The Texans cut Jaelen Strong on Monday, leaving them especially thin at wide receiver. However, the move makes a little more sense after learning that Will Fuller returned to practice for the team on Monday (via tradeAaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle). Fuller had 47 catches for 635 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie but we have not seen him on the field this year due to a broken collarbone suffered in training camp. It’s not immediately clear when the lightning-quick receiver will return to action, however.
- Colts quarterback Andrew Luck won’t play on Sunday, but coach Chuck Pagano is adamant that we’ll see him suit up this season.
Ravens Sign Two Offensive Linemen
The Ravens have added two offensive linemen to the 53-man roster. Center/guard Matt Skura was internally promoted from the practice squad while offensive tackle Dieugot Joseph was signed off of the Bears’ practice squad. They’ll fill the roster spots vacated by guard Marshal Yanda (ankle) and inside linebacker Bam Bradley (ACL) now that they’re on IR and done for the season. 
Skura started in all four preseason games for the Ravens over the summer. The Duke product first joined the Ravens in May of 2016 but has yet to get his first taste of NFL action. Joseph, meanwhile, is an undrafted rookie out of Florida International.
In related news, the Ravens also re-signed running back Jeremy Langford to practice squad, along with guard Arie Kouandjio and linebacker Nicholas Grigsby. Langford was promoted to Baltimore’s 53-man roster after Danny Woodhead was placed on IR, but he was released late last week to make room for the promotion of tailback Alex Collins. Kouandjio, a former standout at Maryland high school powerhouse DeMatha, was a fourth round pick of the Redskins in 2015. This marks his first employment since missing Washington’s 53-man cut in early September.
Saints Work Out LB Lamarr Houston
Veteran outside linebacker Lamarr Houston is working out for the Saints on Tuesday, a source tells Tom Pelissero of USA Today (on Twitter). Houston has a history with defensive coordinator Dennis Allen from his time as the Raiders’ head coach. 
Houston was released by the Bears from IR earlier this month. He had two ACL tears in the past and a new knee injury was holding him back in 2017. The good news is that the new injury is not all that severe. The two sides parted ways with a short two-week injury settlement, a sign that Houston should be ready to go right away.
The Saints could certainly use a player like Houston. Through two games, they have allowed an average of 512.5 yards. They’re also 0-2 with losses to the Vikings and Patriots.
Redskins’ Su’a Cravens Won’t Play This Year
Su’a Cravens will not suit up for the Redskins this season. The versatile defender has been formally placed on the reserve/left squad list. 
“Today the Redskins have officially placed Su’a Cravens on the Reserve/Left Squad list,” the team said in a statement. “In accordance with the NFL Constitution and Bylaws, Su’a will not be permitted to return to the club for the remainder of the 2017 NFL season, including the postseason. We sincerely hope that Su’a uses this time away from the club to reflect upon whether or not he’d like to resume his career in the National Football League in 2018.”
Cravens shocked the Redskins in early September when he informed the team that he would be retiring. Hours later, he reversed that decision. The team placed him on the NFI list to give him some time to consider his football future, but he is apparently still in deliberations.
Cravens, a second-round draft pick in 2016, appeared in 11 games and made three starts as a rookie while lining up at both defensive back and linebacker. This year, he was slated to shift to safety full-time.
The Redskins are now without two key players in the secondary in Cravens and DeAngelo Hall (knee injury). D.J. Swearinger and Deshazor Everett are the team’s starters at free safety and strong safety, respectively.