Raiders’ Trent Brown Accused Of Assault
Raiders offensive tackle Trent Brown has been accused of domestic violence by girlfriend Diorra Marzette-Sanders in a lawsuit, according to ESPN.com. Marzette-Sanders says she’s been “bruised, bloodied and battered” by the veteran NFL player on multiple occasions.
Brown, meanwhile, denied the allegations in a statement:
“I am aware that my ex-girlfriend has filed a civil suit against me. I deny the claims. They are false. I believe in the court system where I will clear my name. I will not be making any further comment at this time.”
A police report was filed following a June 2019 in which Marzette-Sanders says she was bruised by Brown. Based on that attack, and others dating back to 2018, she says she lived in fear of the 26-year-old.
Brown joined the Raiders on a four-year, $66MM deal this past offseason. To date, he’s started in all five of the Raiders’ 2019 games.
Packers Sign WR Ryan Grant
The Packers have signed veteran wide receiver Ryan Grant, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. To make room, they waived running back Tra Carson. 
Grant, 29 in December, caught just four passes for just 14 yards with Oakland this season. However, he snagged 35 passes for 334 yards with the Colts in 2018. The Raiders released Grant in late September and he worked out for the Patriots and Vikings before landing in Green Bay.
Carson, 27 next week, was promoted from the taxi squad just recently. He saw a grand total of six carries and rushed for just 14 yards with the Packers.
After edging out the Lions on Monday night, the Packers will face the Raiders – Grant’s former team – on Sunday afternoon.
Saints Sign RB Zach Zenner
The Saints have signed running back Zach Zenner, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. He’ll serve as insurance in case Alvin Kamara‘s ankle keeps him from seeing the field this week. 
To make room, the Saints have dropped linebacker Stephone Anthony, their one-time first-round pick who returned this season. It’s possible that Anthony will return in the not-too-distant future, but for now, the Saints need the firepower in the backfield.
Zenner spent time with quarterbacks coach Joe Lombardi while in Detroit, so it might not take him long to get acclimated in New Orleans. It’s also possible the Saints won’t need much from him on Sunday against the Cardinals if Kamara is able to suit up.
Torn Achilles For Seahawks’ Will Dissly
Will Dissly‘s season is over. The Seahawks tight end has been diagnosed with a torn Achilles, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
This, unfortunately, was the expected news after Dissly was forced out of Sunday’s game. Before that, Dissly had 23 catches for 262 yards and four touchdowns in six games. The 2018 fourth-round draft pick flashed in the first few games last season, and was starting to break out again this year, so it’s frustrating on a number of levels for him and the Seahawks.
With veteran tight end Ed Dickson on IR, the Seahawks will be moving ahead with Luke Willson as their starter. They also traded for former Patriot Jacob Hollister earlier this year and recently promoted him from the practice squad yesterday, so he figures to be in the mix as well.
Rams Place John Johnson On IR
Rams safety John Johnson has been placed on IR with a shoulder injury, the club announced. Johnson went down in the Rams’ loss to the 49ers and testing revealed that he’ll need a long while to recover. 
Johnson ranks as one of the best young safeties in the game, so this is unwelcome news for the Rams. At the same time, this probably helps to explain their recent shakeup, which sent corner Marcus Peters to the Ravens while bringing in former Jaguars star Jalen Ramsey.
Johnson tallied four interceptions and eleven pass breakups last year, solidifying his status as one of the best at his position. Through six games this year, he had 51 stops and two picks.
Without Johnson, the Rams will likely promote Marqui Christian to the starting lineup.
Giants’ Sam Beal Designated For Return
The Giants announced that they have designated Sam Beal for return. The cornerback may now be weeks away from making his long-awaited NFL debut. 
The Giants took Beal in the third round of the 2018 Supplemental Draft, but he was forced to redshirt his rookie year after shoulder surgery. There was some talk that Beal could start in 2019, but a hamstring issue cost him most of training camp and the entire preseason and the club was forced to place him on injured reserve in September.
Fun fact: Beal was only the third supplemental draft player ever selected by the Giants in franchise history. In July of 2018, he joined quarterback Dave Brown (first round, 1992) and cornerback Tito Wooten (fourth round, 1994) in the record books.
The 6’1″ cornerback ran a 4.47-second 40-yard-dash leading up the draft and the Giants are itching to see what the athletic defensive back can do in live action.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/15/19
A look at the latest NFL practice squad moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: TE Carson Meier
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: CB Denzel Rice
- Released: S A.J. Howard
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: WR Jordan Veasy
Chicago Bears
- Signed: DL Fadol Brown
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: WR Gehrig Dieter
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: TE Stephen Anderson, C Cole Toner
- Placed on practice squad IR: RB Detrez Newsome
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: WR Nsimba Webster
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: WR Davion Davis
New England Patriots
- Signed: OL Tyler Gauthier, WR Devin Ross
- Released: K Younghoe Koo, TE Jason Vander Laan
New York Giants
- Signed: RB Jon Hilliman
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: RB James Butler, WR Anthony Ratliff-Williams
- Released: RB Damarea Crockett, DE Quinton Bell
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: RB De’Angelo Henderson
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: RB Tony Brooks-James, T Christian DiLauro
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: WR Deontay Burnett
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: CB Brian Allen, S Adrian Colbert, TE Tyrone Swoopes, T Chad Wheeler
- Released: LB Malik Carney, CB Parry Nickerson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Released: LB Demone Harris, RB Darius Jackson
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: LB Nigel Harris
- Released: LB Ukeme Eligwe
Washington Redskins
- Signed: TE Wes Saxton, DB Maurice Smith
- Released: TE Drew Belcher, T Victor Salako
Jaguars To Trade Jalen Ramsey To Rams
A third Rams trade is happening Tuesday, and it’s big. The Jaguars have finally agreed to trade Jalen Ramsey, and the Rams will send them two first-round picks to make that happen, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
The Rams, who traded Marcus Peters earlier today, agreed to send the Jags their first-rounders in 2020 and 2021. Jacksonville will also acquire Los Angeles’ 2021 fourth-rounder. This marks a seismic bet for the Rams, who appear set for yet another high-end extension. Although, no extension parameters have been discussed yet, per ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson (on Twitter). But much like the Laremy Tunsil trade, which also involved two first-round picks changing sides, an investment on this level will make re-up talks imminent.
Ramsey has lobbied for a trade for weeks now and continued to sit out Jaguars games due to a back injury, one that has generated league-wide skepticism. The fourth-year standout has not played since Week 3, missing his first NFL games due to this back malady/trade request. Ramsey has since Photoshopped himself in Rams gear (Twitter link), which seems like an indication he will have recovered in time to face the Falcons on Sunday.
This trade comes after Shad Khan insisted he wanted to keep Ramsey and after the Jags owner expressed a willingness to make the disgruntled defender the NFL’s highest-paid corner. Instead, the Jaguars are moving on — after receiving their offer of two first-rounders and then some.
Los Angeles placed Aqib Talib on IR with a rib injury Monday and traded Peters to Baltimore. While Talib will be out at least eight weeks, the Pro Bowler looks like an IR-return candidate. He would be in line to join perhaps the NFL’s best cornerback upon return.
Ramsey, the 2016 No. 5 overall pick, has made two Pro Bowls and landed on the 2017 All-Pro first team. The Florida State product who played a major role in elevating the Jags to the 2017 AFC championship game is signed through the 2020 season.
He had expressed frustration with the Jaguars’ front office; the Jags had refused to discuss an extension with the soon-to-be 25-year-old defender this year. The Rams have handed out a bevy of high-profile re-ups over the past two years — to Brandin Cooks, Todd Gurley, Aaron Donald and Jared Goff — and now look to be ready to reset the stagnant cornerback market.
The Rams entered this season with Talib and Peters as contract-year starters. Ramsey will now lead their corner group for the next two months, with Troy Hill, Nickell Robey-Coleman, Darious Williams and third-round rookie David Long. Les Snead has not shied away from splashy moves during the Sean McVay era, and with the Rams having now lost three straight games for the first time in three seasons, the longtime GM is taking a big gamble on a top-tier talent.
This marks new territory for cornerback trade hauls, with the Jags now holding two first-round picks in 2020 and ’21. Darrelle Revis once fetched first- and fourth-round picks in 2013; this price certainly blows that return away. It will continue a run of Rams drafts without first-round picks. They have not made one since trading up for Goff in 2016.
It also represents a major shift for the Jaguars, who are moving on from probably their best player. Jacksonville has used second-year UDFA Tre Herndon in Ramsey’s place since his absence began. That Herndon-A.J. Bouye setup looks set to continue, with the Jags breaking up one of the league’s premier corner tandems.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/15/19
Here’s a rundown of early-week minor NFL moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: OL John Wetzel
- Waived/Injured: P Matt Wile
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: S Bennett Jackson (from Jets’ practice squad)
- Placed on IR: S DeShon Elliott
Carolina Panthers
- Waived: WR Ray-Ray McCloud
Chicago Bears
- Promoted from practice squad: OL Alex Bars
Cincinnati Bengals
- Claimed: OL Fred Johnson (from Steelers)
- Placed on IR: DE Kerry Wynn
Detroit Lions
- Promoted: DT John Atkins
- Waived: WR Tom Kennedy
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted: TE Evan Baylis
- Released: CB Tremon Smith
Houston Texans
- Signed: T Dan Skipper (from Patriots’ practice squad)
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: DT Carl Davis
Miami Dolphins
- Claimed: CB Ryan Lewis (from Eagles)
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: DE Tashawn Bower
New England Patriots
- Signed: TE Eric Tomlinson
- Placed on IR: FB Jakob Johnson
- Waived: QB Cody Kessler
New York Jets
- Signed: S Blake Countess
- Waived: CB Arthur Maulet
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: CB Ryan Lewis
- Released from IR via injury settlement: TE Alex Ellis
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: DE L.T. Walton
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: LB Devante Bond, WR Bobo Wilson
Washington Redskins
- Signed: FB Michael Burton
- Placed on IR: TE Jerome Cunningham
Rams Trade CB Marcus Peters To Ravens
The Rams have traded cornerback Marcus Peters to the Ravens for linebacker Kenny Young, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The Rams will also receive a 2020 fifth-round pick in the deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. 
The trade comes on the heels of another smaller swap, which saw the Rams ship a 2021 draft pick to the Browns for guard Austin Corbett. Clearly, after a three-game slide, the Rams eager to shake things up.
Peters, 26, is in the fifth year of his rookie contract. This season was supposed to be Peters’ chance to secure a lucrative extension with the Rams. Instead, he’s starting over with the third team of his young career. The Rams would have likely fetched a third- or fourth-round pick for Peters, via the compensatory process, in 2021. They agreed to land Young and a fifth-rounder that will come a year earlier.
After this season, the Ravens will have the opportunity to franchise tag Peters, which would cuff him at approximately $17MM. Or, if they choose, they can allow Peters to test, or walk, in free agency. For now, the Ravens have him at a reasonable cap figure of $9.069MM.
In 2018, Peters showed serious flashes of promise, including a strong showing in a Super Bowl that was otherwise ugly for L.A. Still, he lacked consistency throughout the year, and he has a rep for being difficult with coaches.
With the Ravens, Peters will help secondary that lost defensive backs Tavon Young, Tony Jefferson, and DeShon Elliott for the year. Meanwhile, cornerback Maurice Canady is day-to-day with a hamstring injury.
“The next game is critical,” head coach John Harbaugh said on Monday (via the Associated Press). “It won’t make or break us, but it will go a long way in setting us up for where we’re heading down the road and what kind of season we’re going to have.”
Harbaugh wasn’t kidding – the Ravens went out and got serious firepower in advance of their matchup against the Seahawks. Meanwhile, the Rams will add Young, a 2018 fourth-rounder who notched 2.5 sacks last season, to the mix.