Jaguars To Sign Jamaal Charles
The Jaguars have agreed to sign running back Jamaal Charles, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Charles will give Jacksonville another backfield option while star Leonard Fournette recovers from a hamstring ailment. To make room, the club is releasing backup running back Brandon Wilds.
Charles, 32 in December, is admittedly not the player that he once was. The veteran had some brilliant seasons in Kansas City, including a 2010 campaign in which he ran for 1,467 yards and averaged 6.4 yards per carry, but he has not topped 1,000 yards since his 2014 season with the Chiefs. Injuries and time have slowed Charles, but the Jaguars believe that he has enough juice to help hold down the fort while Fournette is out.
Charles is not necessarily ticketed for a giant workload while Fournette is sidelined – the top job is expected to remain in T.J. Yeldon‘s grasp. Still, Charles has a clear path to playing time for at least one week.
The Jaguars recently lost Corey Grant to a season-ending Lisfranc injury, so the signing of Charles and the release of Wilds leaves the club with just two healthy running backs. It’s likely that another RB will be added to the mix, and it will have to be an outsider as there are no RBs on the Jags’ taxi squad.
Buccaneers Sign Ali Marpet To Extension
The Buccaneers and offensive lineman Ali Marpet have agreed to an extension, according to his representatives at Select Sports Group (on Twitter). It’s a five-year add-on that will keep him under contract through the 2023 season. Marpet’s extension is worth $55MM over the five-year period with $27.125MM in guarantees, a source tells Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
Marpet has been a full-time starter along the Buccaneers’ offensive line ever since being selected in the second round of the 2015 draft. A right guard during his first two years in the league, the 25-year-old Marpet transitioned in 2017, but shifted to right guard this year. Last year, Pro Football Focus graded Marpet as the NFL’s No. 6 pivot before he was placed on IR in late November. This year, PFF has him as the seventh-best guard in the NFL through five weeks.
Marpet missed three games due to injury as a rookie and five games last year, but he has been on the field for every offensive snap in 42 of the other 44 contests since his arrival in Tampa. He’s also started in all 44 of those games.
Before the new deal, the former second-round pick was scheduled to reach free agency in March. He’ll carry a tidy $1.2MM cap charge this year before getting a sizable pay bump in 2019.
Marpet’s skillset, versatility, and age would have positioned him as one of the most valuable offensive lineman in free agency next year. The Bucs were willing to pay the price in order to keep Marpet off of the open market or avoid using the pricey franchise tag to delay his free agency until 2020.
With Marpet’s deal completed, the team is expected to turn its attention to left tackle Donovan Smith, a fellow second-round pick in the 2015 draft.
Giants Waive Ereck Flowers
The Giants have waived tackle Ereck Flowers, according to an announcement from the team. The Giants were looking to trade the former first-round pick by the end of the business day on Tuesday, but they were unable to find a taker. 
Because Flowers is not a vested veteran, he’ll hit the waiver wire, giving the league’s 31 other teams a chance to claim him. Clubs such as the Raiders, Falcons, 49ers, and others with high waiver priority will have an early crack at claiming Flowers, but that’s unlikely given his salary. In all probability, Flowers will go unclaimed, allowing him to sign as a free agent later this week.
Flowers, a 6’6″, 329-pound tackle, was taken with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2015 draft. The Giants were hardly alone in their strong evaluation of the Miami product, but things never panned out for him at the pro level. This year, the Giants brought in left tackle Nate Solder and shifted Flowers to the right side, but the results were pretty much the same. Flowers was demoted in favor of Chad Wheeler this year, and he played just 12 special teams snaps in those three games off of the bench.
Eagles Redo Fletcher Cox’s Contract, Don’t Plan To Use Funds To Pursue Le’Veon Bell
On the surface, the Eagles making the decision to restructure Fletcher Cox‘s contract just as they lost Jay Ajayi for the season would point to the defending Super Bowl champs freeing up funds for a possible Le’Veon Bell trade.
However, Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com are throwing cold water on that prospect (Twitter link). The Eagles made the decision to redo Cox’s deal on Friday, the duo reports. This creates $6.5MM in cap space, pushing Phildelphia into range to afford Bell’s plummeting 2018 price tag.
The Eagles made the decision to restructure Cox’s deal because of their 2019 cap situation, Mortensen and Schefter report, adding the franchise hopes this extra space will help possible re-signings by March. Philadelphia, which has been incredibly active in both retaining its own talent and pursuing outside help, is in its own league regarding 2019 projected cap space. The Eagles are not only the lone team projected to be over the ’19 cap, they are nearly $20MM beyond the ceiling. So, more work will need to be done on this front.
But the Eagles do not plan to pursue Bell, Schefter reports. Prior to the Cox restructure — which will save the Eagles $11.7MM in 2019, per Mortensen and Schefter — the Eagles had barely $4MM in cap space. Now, they’re hovering around $10MM. Bell lost out on $853K in additional 2018 cash by skipping the Steelers’ Week 5 game. That drops his franchise tag amount down close to $10MM.
Philly had been mentioned as not only inquiring about Bell but seriously considering the prospect of pursuing a trade for him. But both Schefter and SI.com’s Albert Breer have not gotten the sense the Eagles are interested. However, the ESPN tandem adds that these added 2018 funds may help get them in the market for another player.
Nevertheless, Philadelphia’s running back situation is now significantly depleted. Ajayi is out for the season, and top backup Corey Clement has not played since Week 3. With Darren Sproles also out, Philly’s top available ball-carrying cogs are Wendell Smallwood and rookie UDFA Josh Adams.
By virtue of this restructure, Cox will make the veteran minimum base salary this season and next, Mortensen and Schefter note. As is the case with many restructures, Cox won’t see less money; it will just be paid out differently. Cox was scheduled to make $11.6MM in 2018 and $15.6MM in ’19. He signed a six-year, $102.6MM extension in the summer of 2016.
Eagles Place Jay Ajayi On IR
The Eagles’ depleted running back situation became considerably thinner on Monday. The team is placing starter Jay Ajayi on IR.
A knee malady’s afflicting Ajayi, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter), and ESPN’s Adam Schefter reveals (via Twitter) it’s a severe setback. Ajayi tore an ACL and will miss the rest of the season. The 25-year-old back was already playing through a fracture in his back.
The Eagles signed defensive tackle T.Y. McGill to take Ajayi’s roster spot.
This is brutal timing for Ajayi, who is in a contract year. The fourth-year running back had knee issues coming into the NFL, and they’re believed to have caused the 2015 fifth-round pick to have dropped in the draft. Nevertheless, he submitted two seasons of starter work, the second of which helping the 2017 Eagles soar to the Super Bowl LII championship.
Now, Ajayi will likely head into free agency on the heels of one of the worst injuries possible in football.
Philadelphia already has been without Darren Sproles and Corey Clement, forcing the likes of Wendell Smallwood — the team’s previous No. 4 back — and Josh Adams (the player whom Smallwood beat out for that back-end job during the preseason) into action. Clement, though, looks to be close to returning from his quadriceps injury. He was active on Sunday against the Vikings but didn’t play.
This also figures to add heat to the Le’Veon Bell-to-Philly rumors. That’s been out there for several days now, with the Eagles reportedly giving “serious consideration” to acquiring Bell from the Steelers. Now that their backfield is bereft of a proven starter, this figures to be perhaps the team to watch if Pittsburgh is indeed ready to unload its superstar back.
Ajayi exited Week 5 averaging 4.1 yards per carry. Following the midseason trade from the Dolphins, Ajayi posted a stellar figure of 5.8 per tote for the Eagles last season. He rushed for a career-high 1,273 yards en route to a Pro Bowl nod in 2016. It’s fair to wonder if Ajayi will be able to secure a medium- or long-term pact from a team after this ill-timed injury.
Giants To Release Or Trade Ereck Flowers
The Ereck Flowers saga is nearing its end. The Giants will release the tackle if he is not traded by 4pm ET/3pm CT on Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. 
The Giants benched Flowers before their Week 3 game against the Texans, bringing an end to his three-plus years as a starter.
The Giants, under both the former regime and the current one, have considered parting ways with Flowers for some time. They moved Flowers off of the left tackle spot this year by signing Nate Solder in free agency, but gave him an opportunity to redeem himself on the right side. Unfortunately, the results have been roughly the same, and the 2015 first-round pick’s time in New York is finally through.
Several teams were giving thought to using a top 32 pick on Flowers in 2015, but it’s unlikely that there’s much of a trade market for him today. There are plenty of teams who are desperate for offensive line help, but it’s hard to see a team giving up something of value and assuming the prorated portion of Flowers’ $2.397MM base salary.
Despite some serious buzz that led to him being taken No. 9 overall in the draft, the Miami product has yet to do much at the pro level. Last year was his best season to date and he graded out as just the No. 54 tackle in the NFL out of 81 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.
The Giants have elevated second-year UDFA offensive tackle Chad Wheeler to the starting lineup in Flowers’ stead, but he is questionable for Thursday night’s game against the Eagles after suffering a hand injury. The Giants have decided to dump Flowers three days before facing a divisional rival on national television even though they might be without their projected starter, and that speaks volumes for where the former first-round pick is in his career.
Cowboys To Place C Travis Frederick On IR
Travis Frederick is indeed heading to the IR to make room for defensive lineman David Irving. David Moore of the Dallas Morning News reports (via Twitter) that the team is placing their center on the injured reserve. The team will activate Irving to take the open roster spot. We heard yesterday that this was the expected move, although a final decision hadn’t been made at that point.
Frederick was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome before the start of the season, and we heard about a month ago that the offensive lineman was still experiencing numbness in both of his arms. The team didn’t immediately place Frederick on the injured reserve with the hope that he’d return before Week 8. Now, the lineman will be eligible to return for the final three games of the regular season, although he’d have to be cleared by a doctor.
The 27-year-old had started 80 straight games for the Cowboys heading into the season. He had another productive season in 2017, as Pro Football Focus ranked him third among eligible centers. The four-time Pro Bowler inked a six-year, $56.4MM extension with the organization back in 2016. Joe Looney will continue to get reps at center for the time being.
Irving was suspended four games by the NFL for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. The defensive tackle ended up skipping training camp as he dealt with personal issues, and he participated in his first padded practice in almost a year on Wednesday. The former undrafted free agent out of Iowa State was excused from practice on Thursday, although owner/general manager Jerry Jones said he expects Irving to play this weekend.
The defensive tackle’s talent is undeniable, as he compiled seven sacks in eight games last season. However, considering how long he’s been out of the lineup, it’s unlikely he immediately replaces Antwaun Woods or Tyrone Crawford in the starting lineup.
Bills Claim DT Jordan Phillips
The Bills have claimed defensive tackle Jordan Phillips off waivers from the Dolphins, according to a club announcement. To make room, the Bills released defensive tackle Robert Thomas. 
The Dolphins cut Phillips on Tuesday, days after he blew up on the sidelines due to his lack of playing time. The Dolphins attempted to trade Phillips first, but they were unable to find a suitable deal.
Former Dolphins GM Dennis Hickey, who drafted Phillips in 2015, works for the Bills now, so he is familiar with the former second-round pick’s potential. At 6’6″ and 341 pounds, Phillips has the size to disrupt quarterbacks and stuff opposing running backs. He hasn’t really blossomed at the pro level, but a change of scenery could be just what the doctor ordered.
Phillips’ most productive season came in 2016 when he had 23 tackles, three pass breakups, an interception, and a half sack. Over the last three seasons and change, the defensive tackle has 5.5 sacks to his credit.
With two games on the remaining schedule against the Dolphins (12/2 and 12/30), Phillips will have the opportunity to exact revenge on his former team. Phillips won’t be a starter for the Bills, but he should be in the rotation behind first-stringers Kyle Williams and Star Lotulelei.
Eagles Giving ‘Serious Consideration’ To Le’Veon Bell Trade?
The Eagles are giving “serious consideration” to the prospect of trading for Le’Veon Bell, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports said during a radio interview with Jon Marks and Ike Reese of Sports Radio WIP (Twitter link).
The Eagles have been mulling this trade for a while, per La Canfora, who believes a third-round pick may be enough to get a deal done (Twitter link).
Bell said he would report to the Steelers during their Week 7 bye, but La Canfora doubts he’ll ever play for Pittsburgh again, citing the bridge being burned. Pittsburgh’s still listening to offers, and one could come from the other Pennsylvania franchise. The Eagles’ interest surfaced over the weekend, with La Canfora reporting the defending Super Bowl champs were among the pursuing franchises. The Jets and 49ers join them.
This year’s trade deadline looms in just less than four weeks. The Eagles would have to clear some cap space to afford Bell. While the 26-year-old All-Pro’s price tag continues to drop because of his holdout, it’s still north of $10MM. Philadelphia has $4.3MM in cap space as of Wednesday. The obvious space-clearing move would be to unload backup quarterback Nick Foles, but given Carson Wentz‘s recent return, it would be incredibly risky for the Eagles to do this.
That said, Philadelphia has a unique championship window. Wentz is attached to his rookie deal through at least the end of this season. It’s possible the Eagles, whose 2019 cap sheet represents the NFL’s worst projected situation going into the next league year, could keep Wentz on this deal through 2019 — since he can be controlled on this contract through 2020 via the fifth-year option — but it should be expected for negotiations on a mammoth extension to commence in 2019.
Philly’s seen injuries consistently affect its running back corps. Jay Ajayi is playing with a back fracture, and both Darren Sproles and Corey Clement missed last week’s game. Sproles remains without a clear return timetable. Wendell Smallwood, who had to fight to make the Eagles’ roster as the No. 4 back, was Ajayi’s backup on Sunday.
The Eagles pulled off a major running back trade last year when they acquired Ajayi for a fourth-round pick. It would cost more to obtain Bell, however, although JLC considers a second-round pick an “ambitious” on the Steelers’ part. And Bell would surely be a rental commodity given Philly’s 2019 cap situation. Bell will voyage into a rare free agency situation next year, given his workload history and age, but can still be expected to land a deal in the vicinity of what Todd Gurley and David Johnson are making. The Eagles wouldn’t seem a candidate to authorize that contract, but for this season, it would make sense for the 2-2 team to add another weapon while this title window is open.
Pittsburgh’s 1-2-1 and could also obviously use Bell. It’s made preparations to fit Bell’s franchise tag price into its 2018 cap picture, having restructured several veterans’ contracts to clear space. But the Steelers and Bell waged contract battles for two offseasons, and multiple offensive linemen called out the running back for not reporting prior to Week 1.
Seahawks’ Mychal Kendricks Suspended Indefinitely
The NFL suspended Seahawks linebacker Mychal Kendricks indefinitely for insider trading, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The veteran will be barred from playing until further notice from the league office. 
The Browns signed Kendricks back in June, but Cleveland quickly released him after news of the insider trading charge broke in August. Seattle head coach Pete Carroll opted to give him a second chance, but the NFL’s disciplinary arm sees things differently.
When the Browns signed Kendricks, they believed that the former Eagle was somehow involved with an insider trading case as a victim, but did not know the full extent of his involvement. Later, it came to light that he was the focal point of a federal investigation.
“Prior to signing Mychal, we were informed that there was a financial situation that he had been involved with in 2014. We were told Mychal had fully cooperated with investigators as a victim,” GM John Dorsey said in a statement. “From what was communicated at that time and based on the numerous questions we asked and further due diligence on our part, including checking with the league office, there was no information discovered that conveyed otherwise.”
Kendricks, who turned 28 on Friday, had a sack in each of his first two games with the Seahawks. He has 15 total tackles to his credit this year, and that could go down as his final stat line for 2018 if his situation is not resolved quickly.
The linebacker is facing 30 to 37 months in prison if convicted of the charges against him.