Latest On Josh Gordon
The Patriots waited until Thursday afternoon to release Josh Gordon from injured reserve, and that was a deliberate move, as Albert Breer of The MMQB tweets. After the trade deadline, all released players are subject to the waiver wire, regardless of their service time. That means that Gordon, one of the most skilled wide receivers in the NFL, wouldn’t get anywhere near the league’s contenders. 
It’s possible that Gordon could go unclaimed on the waiver wire, allowing him to sign with AFC contenders like the Ravens, but that seems unlikely at the moment. As Breer notes, if Gordon walks from a team as an unrestricted free agent in March, that club could receive a compensatory draft pick for virtually nothing. The Dolphins, for example, have paid over $10MM for additional fourth, fifth, and sixth-round picks, so a late draft pick at the cost of $1MM in remaining salary to Gordon would be a relative bargain.
With that in mind, here’s a look at the current Top 10 waiver priority in the NFL:
1. Dolphins: 0-7
2. Bengals: 0-8
3. Redskins: 1-7
4. Falcons: 1-7
5. Jets: 1-6
6. Giants: 2-6
7. Broncos: 2-6
8. Buccaneers: 2-6
9. Browns: 2-5
10. Chargers: 3-5
Patriots To Release Josh Gordon
The Patriots are releasing Josh Gordon from injured reserve, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Patriots feel that Gordon will not be healthy enough to play this season, but the wide receiver believes otherwise, so this move will give him the opportunity to hook on elsewhere. 
In Gordon’s estimation, he’ll be good to go sometime next week, or the week after. Because the move comes after Oct. 29, Gordon will be subject to the waiver wire. The league’s 31 other teams will have a crack at Gordon, and his contract, before he’s potentially able to hit the open market. Waiver priority, meanwhile, is determined by 2019 records.
By not releasing Gordon now, the Patriots may be banking on the talented pass catcher being claimed by a struggling team rather than one the defending Super Bowl champions will be competing with for this year’s title. Waiver priority is now sorted by teams’ 2019 records. The 0-8 Bengals will get the first shot at Flash, followed by the 0-7 Dolphins, and so on.
The former Browns All-Pro is dealing with two knee contusions, but his off-the-field trouble represents his biggest red flag for teams. On the other hand – he’s supremely talented and his contract has just $2MM salary attached.
So far this year, Gordon has 20 receptions for 287 yards and a touchdown.
NFL Workout Updates: 10/30/19
Today’s workout updates, all courtesy of Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle:
Buffalo Bills
- OTs Ruben Holcomb, Denver Kirkland, Pace Murphy
Cleveland Browns
- LB Nate Hall
Detroit Lions
- P Austin Barnard
New England Patriots
- DE Joel Heath
Oakland Raiders
- DE Ethan Westbrooks; S Su’a Cravens
Patriots’ Isaiah Wynn Returns To Practice
Patriots tackle Isaiah Wynn returned to practice on Wednesday, meaning that he is now designated for return from injured reserve. It’s big news for a team that boasts a perfect record, but also has some room for improvement up front. 
Wynn takes the second and final allotted Pats IR-DTR spot, meaning that the season is officially over for Josh Gordon and the rest of the Patriots’ players on injured reserve. The Patriots reportedly had no designs on bringing Gordon back this season, but the wide receiver insists that he’ll be healthy and ready to play before the year is through. Ultimately, this will probably result in Gordon’s release, with the chance that he could hook on with a different club in 2019. In case you missed it: The first IR-DTR slot was used to bring back wide receiver N’Keal Harry.
Wynn, a Pats 2018 first-round pick, left the team’s Week 2 shutout in Miami due to turf toe and was placed on IR soon afterwards. He’ll get nothing but hand-pounds and hugs now that he’s back on the practice field – the Pats have missed him, especially in a season being spent without center David Andrews.
In other Pats injury news – tight end Matt LaCosse (knee) was also back at practice on Wednesday.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/30/19
The latest NFL practice squad moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: LB Del’Shawn Phillips
Houston Texans
- Signed: DB Anthony Chesley, DT Eddie Vanderdoes
- Cut: DT Javier Edwards
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: LB Keishawn Bierria
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: P Jack Fox
New England Patriots
- Released: OT Aaron Monteiro
New York Jets
- Signed: OL Leo Koloamatangi
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
New York Giants
- Cut: LB Jake Carlock
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: DT Bruce Hector, TE Scott Orndorf
- Released: CB Ajene Harris
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DE Bryan Mone
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/30/19
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Cut: P Kasey Redfern
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: CB Tremon Smith
- Cut: WR Darrius Shepherd, TE Evan Baylis
New England Patriots
- Cut: TE Eric Tomlinson
New Orleans Saints
- Cut: CB Ken Crawley
New York Jets
- Signed: LB B.J Bello, DB Arthur Maulet
- Placed on IR: LB Albert McClellan
Oakland Raiders
- Waived: LB Justin Phillips
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: G Jordan Roos
Patriots To Sign K Nick Folk
Hours after cutting Mike Nugent, the Patriots have a deal with a new kicker. Nick Folk and the Pats agreed to terms, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. He has not kicked in an NFL game since 2017.
Folk worked out for the Patriots earlier this month, but they opted to sign Nugent instead. The unbeaten squad will turn to Folk, whose 2019 work has consisted of games with the Alliance of American Football.
Most known for his work with the Jets, with whom the 34-year-old played from 2010-16, the 34-year-old kicker also played for the Cowboys and Buccaneers. He will become the third Patriots kicker this season, following Nugent and Stephen Gostkowski.
Folk kicked in four Bucs games in 2017. In his last full season, with the ’16 Jets, Folk made 27 of 31 field goals and 24 of 26 extra points. Nugent kicked in four Pats games but went 5-for-8 on field goal tries, missing an extra point as well.
Patriots To Release K Mike Nugent
The Patriots are cutting kicker Mike Nugent, sources tell The MMQB’s Albert Breer (on Twitter). Nugent’s replacement is TBD, but we know this much: The Pats will be moving on to their third kicker of the 2019 season.
The Patriots worked out other kickers before signing Nugent this year, including Giorgio Tavecchio, Nick Folk, Greg Joseph, and Austin MacGinnis. They could circle back to those names, or bring in a new group of kickers, as they look to sort out the situation.
Nugent went 5-of-8 on field goals during his short Patriots run, but it was his two misses against the Browns that cost him his job. The Patriots still won and advanced to 8-0, but head coach Bill Belichick decided he was through with Nugent anyway.
The Pats’ search for a new kicker, in theory, could lead them to Matt Bryant. The veteran, who was cut loose by the Falcons on Tuesday, could give them an experienced option in crunch time.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/28/19
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived: QB Danny Etling, CB D.J. White
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Released from IR via injury settlement: RB Alfred Blue
Miami Dolphins
- Claimed: CB Xavier Crawford (from Texans)
New England Patriots
- Re-signed: QB Cody Kessler
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: DT Bruce Hector
Patriots Notes: Trades, Brady, Gronk
The Patriots made a couple of notable trades over the past week, acquiring wide receiver Mohamed Sanu and jettisoning defensive end Michael Bennett. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports that the team is not done dealing, and his sources say New England is continuing its efforts to strengthen its offense.
Even with Sanu in the fold, La Canfora says the Pats are still expected to pursue receiver help, and although all indications are that the Bengals won’t trade A.J. Green prior to Tuesday’s deadline, rival GMs expect Bill Belichick to take a run at him just the same. As reported previously, the club is also interested in bolstering its tight end group, and Cincinnati’s Tyler Eifert and Tampa’s O.J. Howard appeal to the Patriots. Additionally, New England remains in the market for O-line upgrades, with Washington’s Trent Williams, Cincinnati’s Cordy Glenn, and old friend and current Giant Nate Solder also potential targets.
Now for more out of Foxborough:
- Despite La Canfora’s report that the Patriots will continue to be aggressive in the trade market, Michael Lombardi of The Athletic says the Pats are not involved in any deals right now, as they are quite limited in cap room (Twitter link). The Bennett trade helped to facilitate the Sanu acquisition, but if New England is going to make another splash, it may need to cut or restructure another player.
- For the first time in 20 years, Tom Brady‘s future is uncertain, and one of the league’s most respected reporters, Adam Schefter, recently said that Brady staying with the Pats beyond 2019 is less likely than his retiring or suiting up for another club. Another of the NFL’s most prominent scribes, Ian Rapoport, doesn’t go as far as Schefter, but he does say that Brady’s tone with respect to his future has changed dramatically, and RapSheet confirms that TB12’s 2020 plans are very much up in the air (video link). On the other hand, Schefter points out that Brady’s strong relationships with Belichick and owner Robert Kraft — which were reportedly strained not that long ago — could convince the future Hall-of-Famer to stay in New England.
- If Brady does play elsewhere in 2020, La Canfora says the Chargers would hold significant appeal to him given his connections to SoCal and his increasing interest in Hollywood.
- Former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski recently stated in no uncertain terms that he would remain retired, but as Stefan Geller of the Boston Herald writes, that could still change. Gronk is calling on the league to allow players to use CBD products to aid in their recoveries, and if that happens, he suggested he could come back. “I also want to have the option to get back into the game, and if I’m banned next year, I can’t,” Gronkowski said. Gronkowski, obviously, is using CBD products and recently partnered with CBD Medic.
- Tom Pelissero of NFL.com names Patriots special teams/WRs coach Joe Judge and ILB coach Jerod Mayo as two assistants who could garner head coaching interest during next year’s coaching carousel. While it would be a stretch to see the 33-year-old Mayo as an HC in 2020, especially since he just became an NFL coach seven month ago, it would not be surprising to see him get an interview.