Rams Sign Alec Ogletree To Extension
Rumored to be in the works for months, the Alec Ogletree Rams extension came to fruition on Thursday night. The Rams announced they’ve signed the linebacker to a four-year extension.
The through-2021 deal is worth $42MM, contains $31.4MM in total guarantees and $18MM in full guarantees, and comes with an $8MM signing bonus, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com adds (via Twitter) this deal includes $33MM over its first three years.
Les Snead announced the re-up on the team’s website. The Rams will now have three well-paid linebackers. Ogletree follows Robert Quinn and Mark Barron, continuing a defensive fortification on a unit that also includes high-end contracts (or franchise tags) authorized recently for Michael Brockers and Trumaine Johnson.
“Alec has evolved into a true leader of our football team and we are excited to sign him to this extension,” Snead said. “We look forward to Alec helping our team emerge as a consistent winner for years to come.”
In terms of per-year wages, Ogletree’s $10.5MM-AAV pact makes him the fourth inside ‘backer to earn eight figures annually — behind Kuechly, Bobby Wagner and alongside NaVorro Bowman.
Ogletree began his fifth season with the Rams last month. He’s now the second of the franchise’s 2013 first-round picks to have signed a four-year extension, joining Tavon Austin in that regard. The Rams picked up Ogletree’s fifth-year option in 2016 and had the inside linebacker under team control through this season at $8.369MM.
A fifth-year starter, Ogletree leads the Rams with 54 tackles. His deal will give the Rams two of the highest-paid non-rush linebackers in the league. Barron’s already signed for five years and $45MM.
Nothing’s emerged on additional progress having been made on the Aaron Donald front, but the Rams continued their trend of early-season extensions for defenders. Quinn and Brockers each signed re-ups in September, and now Ogletree has an October pact that will tie him to Los Angeles through the 2021 season.
This will eat into the funds available for Donald but also for potential Johnson or Lamarcus Joyner deals, however, but the Rams were slated to possess $62MM in cap space prior to the Ogletree contract. So, flexibility remains if the franchise wants to extend these players, which has been reported about Donald and Joyner.
Court Restores Ezekiel Elliott’s Six-Game Ban
The Fifth Circuit of Appeals has ruled in favor of the NFL in its case against Ezekiel Elliott. As a result, Elliott’s six-game ban has been restored. 
However, Elliott’s camp could re-file in New York Federal Court and keep him on the field, according to lawyer Gabe Feldman (on Twitter). It’s not known whether Elliott will continue the fight, but we do know that it’s not necessarily over. Elliott can also re-file in Texas, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
The court, based out of New Orleans, ordered the district court in Texas to dismiss Elliott’s case with a 2-1 vote in favor of the NFL.
If no further legal action is taken by Elliott’s team, he may be barred from playing in the team’s Oct. 22 contest against the Niners. The NFL plans to enforce this immediately, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets. The Cowboys have a Week 6 bye. After their 49ers tilt, the Cowboys face the Redskins, Chiefs, Falcons, Eagles and Chargers. Three of these games (against the 49ers, Redskins and Falcons) are on the road.
In August, Elliott received the six-game suspension for domestic abuse allegedly occurring during a week in 2016. But Texas judge Amos Mazzant granted the running back an injunction that allowed him to play in Dallas’ first five games while this case made its way through the courts. Thursday’s ruling overrules Mazzant’s, and now Elliott and the NFLPA will have to make a decision about fighting this further.
Elliott filed his appeal in Texas prior to NFL arbiter Harold Henderson upholding the six-game ban levied upon him. That preemptive strike played into this latest ruling against the running back, ESPN’s Josina Anderson tweets. The decision being based on Elliott’s timing would stand to give the second-year player a chance in New York Federal Court, Breer notes (on Twitter).
While the parties likely will, with Elliott and the NFLPA previously unwilling to agree on a settlement with the league, this now could be a matter of finances. Elliott serving his six-game ban without pay would obviously deal a blow to both his reputation and the Cowboys’ playoff hopes. And a subsequent fight in the offseason would be about recouping salary and having this charge vacated from his record. Elliott was not charged or arrested for this alleged violence against Tiffany Thompson.
Even with Elliott’s services, the Cowboys are 2-3. It took them until Week 17 of last season to suffer a third defeat, and that only came in a meaningless Week 17 contest. Removing the first-team All-Pro back from the equation could spell doom for an offense that has taken a step back from its 2016 version.
Alfred Morris has served as Elliott’s primary backup this season, with Darren McFadden being a healthy scratch throughout this year. But McFadden, who re-signed with the Cowboys this offseason, figures to be a bigger part of the operation if Elliott indeed serves this suspension this season.
Bengals TE Tyler Eifert Done For Season
Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert has decided to undergo season-ending back surgery, as first reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Eifert went under the knife on Thursday for an operation that will sideline him for four-to-six months. The Bengals have officially placed Eifert on injured reserve.
Eifert, of course, is no stranger to injury, as he’s appeared in only 39 of a possible 69 games since entering the NFL as a first-round pick in 2013. His history of back ailments dates back to the latter part of the 2016 campaign — after missing the first seven games of last year with an ankle issue suffered in the Pro Bowl, Eifert was placed on injured reserve in December after experiencing back pain.
This latest back issue is reportedly not the same one that bothered Eifert near the tail end of last season, but it will likely affect contractual negotiations with the Bengals nonetheless. Scheduled to become a free agent next spring when his fifth-year option expires, Eifert will now hit the open market amidst a sea of health questions. A long-term deal is still possible, but it seems incredibly unlikely that Cincinnati would now deploy the franchise tag — at a cost north of $10MM — on Eifert.
When on the field, Eifert is clearly one of the more dynamic tight ends in the league. In his best season to date (2015), Eifert appeared in 13 games and managed 52 receptions for 615 yards and 13 touchdowns. That type of production puts Eifert among elite tight end company, but his availability concerns are sure to reduce his market.
The Bengals will go forward with Tyler Kroft, C.J. Uzomah, and Cethan Carter at tight end, while H-back Ryan Hewitt can also play the position. If Cincinnati wants to pursue an outside addition, free agent tight ends include Gary Barnidge, Larry Donnell, Ladarius Green, and Jacob Tamme.
Giants Ban DRC Indefinitely
Near the end of business on Wednesday, it seemed like things were heading in a more positive direction between the Giants and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Apparently, there’s still some healing to be done between the team and the cornerback. The Giants announced on Thursday morning that DRC has been “suspended indefinitely.” 
The suspension isn’t truly indefinite since the CBA dictates a four-game maximum ban for conduct detrimental to the team. But, at minimum, it sounds like he will not be in action for this Sunday’s contest against the Broncos in Denver. He’ll lose out on $410K in base salary for every game that he misses.
Things got heated between DRC and the team starting last Friday when he walked out of a team activity. Then, during Sunday’s loss to the Chargers, he became visibly angry on the sidelines and walked to the locker room. This week, Ben McAdoo told him he would not be active for the Denver game. Then, DRC walked out of a defensive meeting on Wednesday, resulting in the suspension.
In the aftermath, Rodgers-Cromartie was saying all of the right things, so it seemed like this would be patched up rather quickly. That’s not the case, however, and DRC’s status with the team is now up in the air.
NFL: No Change To National Anthem Policy
Although reports earlier this week indicated that the NFL may force players to stand for the national anthem, the NFL and NFLPA today released a joint statement indicating that the league’s policy has not been altered.
“Commissioner Roger Goodell reached out to NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith today and both he and player leadership will attend the League meetings next week. There has been no change in the current policy regarding the anthem.
The agenda will be a continuation of how to make progress on the important social issues that players have vocalized. Everyone who is part of our NFL community has a tremendous respect for our country, our flag, our anthem and our military, and we are coming together to deal with these issues in a civil and constructive way.”
Goodell released his own memo earlier this week in which he stated the following: “Like many of our fans, we believe that everyone should stand for the National Anthem.” That, combined with indications that the NFL itself would mandate standing for the anthem, generated a round of controversy on top of what has already become a hot-button issue.
Latest On Giants’ DRC
On Wednesday, the Giants suspended Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie after he got into an argument with coach Ben McAdoo. We now have some additional information on how things came to a head between the two. 
[RELATED: Giants Work Out Several WRs]
The issues between McAdoo and DRC started last Friday, when the cornerback walked out of the team’s “recovery day” session, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano (Twitter link) reports. Then, during Sunday’s loss to the Chargers, the cornerback threw his helmet down on the sideline and walked off the field. On Tuesday, DRC was informed that he would not be active for the upcoming game against the Broncos. On Wednesday, DRC bailed on a defensive team meeting, prompting the ban.
Despite everything that went on, the Giants have no plans to release or trade Rodgers-Cromartie, Graziano hears. Instead, they plan to welcome him once he has served his punishment. And, for his part, DRC says he’ll report to the Giants on Thursday (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson).
Bengals TE Tyler Eifert Done For Year?
Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert is deciding whether to have the third back surgery of his career, sources tell Field Yates and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). If Eifert has the operation, it will end his season after just two appearances.
When healthy, Eifert is one of the NFL’s most dynamic tight ends. Unfortunately, his career has been marred by back, knee, and ankle problems. He missed half of the 2016 season and nearly all of the 2014 season due to injury. In 2015, when he appeared in all but three games, he caught 52 passes for 615 yards and 13 touchdowns en route to his first Pro Bowl selection.
The 27-year-old is scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency next spring after his fifth-year option expires. The Bengals have not allowed a Pro Bowl player under the age of 32 to leave via free agency since 2011, but Eifert’s medical history likely prevented the two sides from agreeing to an extension over the summer.
With a productive and season, Eifert was likely looking at a multi-year deal with a $10MM+ average annual value. If his 2017 campaign ends here in October, he won’t come anywhere near those figures.
Cowboys DT Stephen Paea Retires
Cowboys defensive tackle Stephen Paea informed his coaches on Wednesday that he is retiring, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Naturally, this comes as a huge surprise here in Week 6. Paea’s retirement comes just moments after owner Jerry Jones finished meeting with players regarding the anthem protests, but we don’t have confirmation yet on whether that was what sparked the decision.
Paea was the Cowboys’ starter at right defensive tackle through the first four games of the season. He missed the Week 5 game against the Packers with a knee issue and was said to be questionable for Week 7 against the Niners on the other side of the bye.
Through one month of action, Paea has not looked like his old self. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus have him ranked as the second worst qualified interior defensive lineman in the NFL. Last year, he ranked as PFF’s 40th-best interior D-lineman among 127 qualifiers.
Paea, still only 29, was signed this offseason to replace the departed Terrell McClain. He became even more vital to the Cowboys’ front four when Cedric Thornton was released in early September.
The Cowboys were Paea’s fourth – and apparently final – NFL team. Since entering the league as a second-round pick in 2011, he has also suited up for the Bears, Redskins, and Browns.
Giants Suspend Rodgers-Cromartie
The Giants have suspended cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, coach Ben McAdoo announced. McAdoo declined to go into specifics when addressing reporters on Wednesday.
“DRC came in yesterday, we had a conversation that was personal…He came in today and decided to leave. We will suspend him,” McAdoo said before brushing off follow-up questions.
Safety Landon Collins indicated that tensions flared between DRC and McAdoo on the sidelines on Sunday (Twitter link via Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com). He even termed the incident as an “altercation.”
The suspension is probably of the indefinite variety. At minimum, DRC probably won’t be in uniform for Sunday’s game against the Broncos. We’ll have to wait and find out whether the Giants will bring him back for games against the Seahawks (Oct. 22), Rams (Nov. 5) and beyond.
Rodgers-Cromartie came to the Giants on a five-year, $35MM free agent deal prior to the 2014 season. He has been among the league’s better corners since coming aboard and earned a Pro Bowl nod for his work in 2015. After missing only two games in a three-year span, he could miss significant time as tensions bubble in New Jersey.
The Rodgers-Cromartie suspension is just the latest setback in what has been a bizarre season for the Giants. The G-Men are 0-5 and there is little hope for a turnaround with their top two receivers out for the year and their best cornerback at odds with the organization.
The Giants have struggled as a whole, but Cromartie has been solid through five games. DRC ranks as Pro Football Focus’ No. 30 corner in the NFL this season with a quality 80.3 overall score. That’s down from his usual work (85.7 average over previous four seasons, including career-high 89.9 in ’16), but still casts him as starting caliber.
Browns Bench QB DeShone Kizer
The Browns are giving DeShone Kizer the hook. On Sunday, Kevin Hogan will get the start at quarterback when the Browns take on the Texans. 
“I’ve made the decision to start Kevin this week,” coach Hue Jackson said in a statement released by the team. “We’ve liked what Kevin has been able to do within our offense when he’s been in there and he will start on Sunday because that’s what we feel is best for our team at this point in time. This does not change the way we feel about DeShone going forward. He has worked extremely hard and still very much has a bright future. Right now, it’s better for him and his development to back up Kevin.”
The 0-5 Browns have apparently seen enough of Kizer for now, which is understandable but also contradicts their words earlier this year. Jackson said the team would be patient with Kizer and stick with him regardless of road bumps. Desperate for their first win, the Browns have made Hogan their 28th starting quarterback since reentering the league in 1999. Going back to 2008 alone, the Browns have now gone through 19 starting QBs. As Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com notes (Twitter link), that’s five more than the rest of the AFC North combined over that same period: Steelers (six), Ravens (four), and Bengals (four).
The Browns are saying all of the right things about Kizer, but their search for a franchise QB seems likely to continue this spring.