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.
Dolphins Cut DT Jordan Phillips
The Dolphins are cutting defensive tackle Jordan Phillips, a source tells Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (on Twitter). Phillips was visibly upset on the sidelines Sunday due to his playing time and his release is likely related. Clearly, there’s no love lost for the former second-round pick. 
“Free at last, free at last,” Phillips wrote on Instagram (Twitter link via Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com). “[I’m] no longer a Miami Dolphin. Good luck to my brothers on the team. I’ll miss y’all but I couldn’t be happier to be out of there.I’m in my bag, don’t take it personal. Sometimes [you’ve] got to put your future in your own hands and live with it.”
Though four games, Phillips saw action on 124 defensive snaps. He had a season-high 46 snaps in Week 3 against the Raiders, but his usage dropped back down to 25 snaps in Sunday’s blowout loss to the Pats.
Head coach Adam Gase may be sending a message to his team, not unlike last year when he traded talented running back Jay Ajayi to the Eagles. Phillips might not be as much of a game-changer as Ajayi, but he does have 5.5 sacks over the last three years and change. It’s likely that Phillips will be picked up quickly by a club that is in need of interior defensive line help.
The Dolphins already lost William Hayes for the season and fellow defensive end Andre Branch is sidelined with a knee injury, so they’re not exactly working with a surplus on the defensive line. Akeem Spence, Davon Godchaux, and Vincent Taylor will be charged with keeping things afloat in the middle for now, but the Dolphins will surely sign a defensive tackle this week.
With Phillips out of the picture, wide receiver DeVante Parker and cornerback Bobby McCain stand as the last remaining Dolphins from the 2015 draft class. Phillips (2nd round), Jamil Douglas (4th), Ajayi (5th), Cedric Thompson (5th), and Tony Lippett (5th) are no longer with the club.
Le’Veon Bell To Report To Steelers During Week 7 Bye
6:09 pm: Although Bell has now made it known he plans on reporting to the Steelers, the team is still “expected to be interested in listening to trade offers” for the running back, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link). Schefter notes that Bell’s announcement will “not dissuade” the Steelers from making a deal if the terms are favorable. It remains unclear what kind of trade market Bell would have for a one-year rental, but it’s possible they could get something. It was reported yesterday that the Eagles and 49ers had some interest.
5:46pm: The question everyone in the football world has been asking finally has an answer. Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell plans to report to the team during Pittsburgh’s bye week in Week 7, a source told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN (Twitter link).
It’s a great day to be a Steelers fan, as Fowler adds “Bell definitely plans to play football for the Steelers this season.” Bell’s future with the team seemed to be in serious doubt as recently as earlier this week, when it was reported that the Steelers were actively shopping him. It’s possible the threat of an imminent trade caused Bell to re-consider his stance and leak the news of his impending return.
The news means the Steelers will only have to go two more games without Bell, Week 5 and 6 matchups against the Falcons and Bengals respectively. The news couldn’t come at a better time for the Steelers, as the team is currently in disarray. Fresh off a 12 point home loss on Sunday Night Football to the Ravens, the Steelers currently find themselves at 1-2-1, tied with the Browns for last place in the AFC North.
While James Conner has filled in admirably, it will be a huge boost to the Steelers’ offense. Teams simply don’t have to gameplan to stop Conner in the way that they do Bell. Assuming Bell does return during the bye, his first game will be back at home in Pittsburgh for a game against Cleveland. It’s unclear how this bizarre and relatively unprecedented situation will impact Bell’s longterm future in Pittsburgh or his 2019 free agency, but we should have a lot more clarity soon.
Bell will sign his franchise tender, and assuming the Steelers don’t agree to any 2018 pay-raise, he’ll earn just a tick under $10MM as his $14.94MM franchise tag salary would be prorated over the 11 weeks he’ll spend with the team.
Rams To Place Dominique Easley On IR
Rams outside linebacker Dominique Easley underwent meniscus surgery on Monday, coach Sean McVay told reporters. The injury will land Easley on IR, according to the coach, and it’s not clear whether he’ll be available to return later this year. 
This marks the fourth major knee surgery of Easley’s career. This marks the fourth major knee surgery of Easley’s career. The Florida product tore the ACL in his left knee as a college sophomore, the ACL and meniscus of his right knee as a senior. Last year, he tore his right ACL yet again, and this latest injury occurred in the same knee. It seems unlikely that Easley will suit up again in 2018 and it’s fair to wonder about his overall football future, even though he won’t turn 27 until February.
For his career, the former first round pick has 6.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and one interception in 41 career games. This year, he started in the first three games of the season L.A. and had four tackles to his credit.
Steelers Actively Shopping Le’Veon Bell; Eagles, 49ers Interested
Last week, reports that the Steelers were listening to trade offers for running back Le’Veon Bell became the latest development in the long and winding Bell saga. Today, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link) reports that Pittsburgh is actively shopping Bell and is not simply waiting on calls from rival clubs.
In addition to the obvious complications to finalizing a Bell trade — which Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk laid out again today — Rapoport says that the Steelers’ asking price is reportedly too high for other teams at the moment. RapSheet indicates that Pittsburgh is currently asking for a second-round pick and a player in exchange for Bell, which another club is almost certainly not going to give up. Bell’s talent doubtlessly merits such a return, but the fact that he will effectively be a one-year rental — and an expensive rental at that — will limit what the Steelers can get in a Bell swap.
Right now, however, it appears that Pittsburgh is not in any rush to lower its demands. As Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports points out, the trade deadline is still a month away, and the Steelers are currently willing to let the market develop. La Canfora adds that the Jets and 49ers have made “exploratory calls” to Pittsburgh, though San Francisco’s interest in Bell may no longer be very high after the team lost starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo for the season.
The Eagles, though, are also interested, per La Canfora. The Eagles are obvious contenders and have suffered a number of injuries to their backfield that could prompt the ever-aggressive Howie Roseman to get creative in his push for back-to-back titles. Philadelphia would of course need to clear some cap space in order to acquire Bell, but there are ways to do that (like jettisoning backup QB Nick Foles).
La Canfora writes that the Steelers would be willing to deal one disgruntled star for another by sending Bell to the Seahawks in exchange for safety Earl Thomas, but there has been no contact between Pittsburgh and Seattle at this point.
Indeed, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports that no team has been aggressive in pursuing Bell thus far. That jibes with a tweet from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, who says that there is minimal trade buzz surrounding Bell at the moment.
Schefter also notes that, the longer Bell stays away from the Steelers, the more he could lose on his 2019 pay. For instance, if any team were to use the transition tag on Bell next season, the tag number would be 120 percent of this season’s salary, so the more 2018 game checks Bell misses out on, the lower the tag number would be. Of course, Bell could appeal such a matter to an arbitrator, but his holdout is becoming riskier with each passing week.
Titans Release WR Rishard Matthews
As expected, the Titans announced their intention to release Rishard Matthews. The wide receiver asked the team to cut him on this week and the Titans obliged after being unable to find a suitable trade for him. 
The Titans’ passing offense has struggled this year, in part because the injury to Marcus Mariota that forced Blaine Gabbert into action. Matthews, meanwhile, was upset about his limited role and wants to join a club that will utilize him more.
“I’ve been the leading receiver for two years,” Matthews said. “Then all of a sudden I’m barely playing and not even starting. Using my injury as the scapegoat. Look at number of snaps and targets.”
As Field Yates of ESPN.com notes (on Twitter), receiver-needy teams like the Cowboys, Patriots, Bills, Seahawks, and Cardinals would all make sense for Matthews. The Bills, in particular, could be a likely landing spot for the veteran. Bills wide receivers coach Terry Robiskie was Tennessee’s offensive coordinator in 2016 and 2017, so he knows what Matthews can do when he’s at his best.
Matthews had something of a breakout season with the Dolphins in 2015 and parlayed that into a free agent deal with the Titans in 2016. Matthews responded by amassing 945 receiving yards in his first year with Tennessee and had nearly 800 yards last season. In three games this year, Matthews had just three catches off of six targets.
After releasing Matthews, the Titans are left with five wide receivers on the roster – Corey Davis, Tajae Sharpe, Taywan Taylor, Darius Jennings, and Nick Williams. Davis leads the team with 13 catches for 151 yards through three weeks.
Panthers To Sign S Eric Reid
The Panthers have signed free agent safety Eric Reid to a one-year deal, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Reid will help to fill the void after the team was forced to place safety Da’Norris Searcy on injured reserve last week. 
This offseason, Reid fell victim to a stagnant free agent market for safeties. His role in national anthem protests and alignment with Colin Kaepernick may have also played a role in his extended unemployment. Whatever the reason, Reid is undoubtedly happy to be back in football and in a situation where he has an opportunity to shine.
“Eric has been a starting safety in the NFL and has played at a high level throughout his career,” GM Marty Hurney said in a statement. “After we put Da’Norris Searcy on injured reserve, Ron [Rivera] and I discussed our options, and Eric was at the top of our list. He is a physical safety with good ball skills and play-making ability.”
Reid took a visit with the Bengals earlier this year, but later filed a grievance after Cincinnati asked him about his anthem stance. He was scheduled to meet with the Titans earlier this month, but multiple flight cancellations prevented Reid’s visit. He was linked to the Falcons recently after they lost their second starting safety of the year, but they did not pursue him.
Reid, 26, was something of a playmaker during his first two NFL campaigns, as he posted seven total interceptions from 2013-14. While he hasn’t kept up that rate of turnover creation, Reid is still a solid starter, and Pro Football Focus graded him as the league’s No. 30 safety a year ago.
The Panthers’ signing of Reid does not impact his collusion grievance against the NFL, Mike Florio of PFT (on Twitter) hears. Reid is represented by attorney Mark Geragos, the same lawyer representing Kaepernick in his case against the league.
Titans WR Rishard Matthews Requests Release
Wide receiver Rishard Matthews has requested his release from the Titans, as he tells Austin Stanley of A to Z Sports. Matthews says he and Tennessee have reached an agreement, although the club has yet to announce any transaction.
“I’ve been the leading receiver for two years,” Matthews said. “Then all of a sudden I’m barely playing and not even starting. Using my injury as the scapegoat. Look at number of snaps and targets.”
Matthews has appeared in all three games for the Titans this season, but is tied for sixth in targets with tight end Luke Stocker and fellow receiver Tajae Sharpe. He’s played exactly 50% of Tennessee’s offensive snaps, which ranks him third among Titans wideouts behind Corey Davis and Sharpe. The 28-year-old has produced just three receptions for 11 yards on six targets.
Mathews agreed to an extension just over a month ago, a self-negotiated deal that was widely panned. the pact tacks on a one-year team option in 2019 that’s valued at $7.5MM, but the extra year doesn’t contain any guaranteed money. Matthews is earning a base salary of $5MM this season, and while that total should be guaranteed given that he made the Titans’ Week 1 roster as a vested veteran, Tennessee could look to negotiate that total down, as Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap tweets.
Despite his lackluster production in 2018, Matthews is indeed an accomplished receiver. He led the Titans in receiving yards in both 2016 and 2017, and he averaged 59 receptions, 870 yards, and 6.5 touchdowns during that time.
Matthews will presumably garner a good deal of free agent interest once he reaches the open market, and he’ll join a list of available pass-catchers that includes Dez Bryant, Kendall Wright, Kenny Britt, and Jeremy Maclin, among others.
Patriots To Place RB Rex Burhhead On IR
The Patriots will place running back Rex Burkhead on injured reserve with a neck injury, according to Jim McBride of The Boston Globe (on Twitter). The Pats will also place rookie linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley on IR with an unknown ailment. To fill Bentley’s place on the roster, the Pats have signed outside linebacker John Simon, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. 
Burkhead, 28, had to be cleared from concussion protocol prior to the Patriots’ Week 3 game against the Lions. Unfortuantely, he was forced out of that game with a neck injury, putting the rest of his season in jeopardy. It’s currently unknown whether Burkhead is a candidate to return from IR later this year or if this is a definite season-ender.
In three games, Burkhead failed to get going on the ground with 24 rushes for 86 yards. Last year, he averaged 4.1 yards per carry in a limited sample.
Burkhead’s injury should mean a larger workload for rookie Sony Michel and more carries for James White. Kenjon Barner is back in the fold, so the club may opt to stand pat with those three active running backs plus fullback James Develin.
Bentley, meanwhile, is the just the latest Patriots 2018 draft pick to be placed on IR this season, joining first round tackle/guard Isaiah Wynn, second-round cornerback, sixth-round wide receiver Braxton Berrios, and others.
Simon spent one season with the Colts, but in their new 4-3 defense, he was not viewed as an ideal fit. He spent the prior five seasons of his career with 3-4 teams — the Ravens and Texans — and has worked in a starting role for the past three years.
Packers To Sign CB Bashaud Breeland
Bashaud Breeland‘s eventful stay in free agency appears to be over. The Packers’ cornerback troubles will lead them to sign Breeland, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com tweets. It’s a one-year deal, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets.
Green Bay placed Davon House on IR earlier this afternoon and was without Kevin King in its Week 3 loss in Washington, and the Packers will bring in the Redskins’ former No. 2 corner to help. The Packers on Tuesday worked out Breeland, David Amerson and fellow corner Arrion Springs, NFL reporter Howard Balzer tweets.
Nearly a third of the league secured visits from Breeland, who took part in meetings in all four American time zones by attending summits with the Colts, Cardinals, Raiders, Chiefs, Ravens, Browns, Patriots, Dolphins and Buccaneers. Breeland met with the Colts twice.
A nixed Panthers deal set Breeland on his complicated course during the offseason. A foot injury suffered in March led to Breeland’s $8MM-AAV Carolina contract being nullified. It’s highly unlikely his Packers deal is in that neighborhood. Breeland, though, was one of the top cornerbacks available when free agency began. He agreed to the Panthers deal quickly before the subsequent injury changed his offseason trajectory.
Breeland will join a corner corps flush with young talent. The 2014 fourth-round pick will now be a part of a group housing a 2017 second-rounder in King, a 2018 first-rounder in Jaire Alexander and 2018 second-rounder Josh Jackson. Tramon Williams rounds out the Green Bay group.
Breeland was a full-time starter with the Redskins, lining up with Washington’s first-string defense in 58 of the 60 regular-season games he played during his four-year stay in the nation’s capital. He will now begin his age-26 season, likely with an intent to impress for another run at free agency in 2019.