Ravens Place RB Alex Collins On IR
Alex Collins‘ season has come to an end. Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic tweets that the Ravens have placed the running back on the injured reserve. The team has activated running back Kenneth Dixon in a corresponding move.
Collins had been dealing with a foot injury that forced him to miss last week’s win over the Raiders. NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets that the running back won’t have to undergo surgery for the injury, but the organization decided that it was in the player’s best interest to sit out and heal his foot. Collins should be “fine” by the time he hits restricted free agency this offseason.
There were some high hopes for Collins heading into this season, especially after he finished the 2017 campaign having compiled 973 rushing yards and six touchdowns. However, the 24-year-old struggled in 2018, as he had rushed for only 411 yards on 114 carries (3.6-yard average). The running back did manage to find the end zone eight times, however.
Collins is expected to hit restricted free agency this offseason, and the Ravens will have to decide whether they want to tender him a contract. Fellow running backs Buck Allen and Ty Montgomery are also set to hit free agency, meaning the organization could completely revamp their running back depth chart before next season. At the very least, the running back corps could look a whole lot different behind Gus Edwards.
Dixon hasn’t been able to stay healthy since being selected in the fourth round of the 2016 draft, as the 24-year-old has appeared in only 13 games through three seasons. The running back missed the entire 2017 season, and he’s only appeared in one game in 2018. He was relatively production during his rookie campaign, as he compiled 382 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 88 carries. He also added 30 receptions for 162 yards.
Chiefs Release Kareem Hunt
Less than an hour after learning the NFL placed Kareem Hunt on the Commissioner Exempt list, the Chiefs announced the release of the second-year back, The Kansas City Star’s Brooke Pryor tweets. 
The Chiefs released a statement with the announcement of the news:
“Earlier this year, we were made aware of an incident involving running back Kareem Hunt. At that time, the National Football League and law enforcement initiated investigations into the issue. As part of our internal discussions with Kareem, several members of our management team spoke directly to him. Kareem was not truthful in those discussions. The video released today confirms that fact. We are releasing Kareem immediately.”
The move comes on the heels of a video released on Friday by TMZ that showed the Pro Bowl running back pushing a woman to the ground and kicking her while on the floor in an incident at a Cleveland hotel this past February. The woman claimed she was removed from Hunt’s apartment in the hotel for refusing to have intercourse with one of the player’s friends. She responded by striking Hunt, who broke free of his friends attempting to hold him back, knocked one of his buddies into the woman and then kicked her while she was on the ground.
When police came to the hotel, Hunt and the accuser had different accounts of what happened. While she says that she was kicked out of Hunt’s room for refusing to sleep with one of his buddies, Hunt claims that she was asked to leave and retaliated with a racial slur. No charges were filed from the incident but two police reports were created, one listing Hunt as the suspect and another listing the woman as a suspect, according to Pryor.
Regardless of which account is correct, the Chiefs made it clear that the version of the story Hunt told them was not backed up by the video. While the NFL conducted an investigation into the matter, it was reportedly denied the security footage by both the hotel and the Cleveland Police Department.
Hunt responded in a statement:
“I want to apologize for my actions. I deeply regret what I did. I hope to move on from this.”
The Chiefs wasted little time in removing the NFL’s sixth-leading rusher from their team once the video came to light. The team will now turn to Spencer Ware as it looks to wrap up a playoff spot in the coming weeks.
Raiders Place Leon Hall On IR
The Raiders placed cornerback Leon Hall on injured reserve with a back injury. Hall missed the club’s Week 12 game and the ailment is serious enough to rule him out for the rest of the year. 
Hall, 34 in December, was one of several veteran players to join Jon Gruden’s Raiders in the offseason. Hall is no longer the player that he was during his Bengals heyday, but he did serve as a positive force in the locker room and a mentor to rookie nickelback Nick Nelson.
Hall’s season ends after ten games, four of which he started. He recorded 25 total tackles with three passes defensed and one quarterback hit. It remains to be seen whether he’ll try to play again in 2019.
In a corresponding move, the club signed cornerback Montrel Meander off of the Browns’ practice squad. Meander spent the preseason with the Browns and appeared as a safety in their exhibition games. As noted by Pro Football Focus (on Twitter), he was targeted seven times in 48 coverage snaps and allowed one catch for 12 yards with one pass breakup.
Rams Activate Aqib Talib From IR
The Rams officially activated cornerback Aqib Talib from injured reserve. Talib, who was designated for return earlier this week, is likely on course to play this Sunday against the Lions. 
Talib’s return is huge for a Rams defense that has struggled in recent weeks. Talib’s surgically repaired ankle is good to go, and he’ll help a unit that has allowed at least 27 points in the past four games. In Talib’s three games with the team, the Rams allowed 0, 13 and 23 points, though two of those contests were against the Raiders and Cardinals.
Before the injury, Talib had a reputation for durability. From 2012-2017, he never missed more than three games in a season.
The 10-1 Rams have pretty much clinched the NFC West. If they beat the Lions, they’ll take another step towards securing a first-round bye.
Colts To Activate Joe Haeg
The Colts will activate tackle/guard Joe Haeg in advance of Sunday’s game against the Jaguars, the team announced. Haeg was designated for return two weeks ago and has looked healthy enough in practice to warrant a return to the field. 
The third-year pro was placed on IR in late September after suffering an ankle injury in the Colts’ Week 3 loss to the Eagles. Prior to that, Haeg started the team’s first three games of the season at right tackle.
Even without Haeg, the Colts’ offensive line has been dominant over the last two months. From Weeks 5 through 12, Andrew Luck attempted 239 passes without being sacked, which was the third-longest such streak in NFL history. All in all, the front five has allowed just eleven sacks on the year, which is the lowest total in the NFL.
Haeg is the second of two players activated off of IR by the Colts this season, meaning that they cannot bring anyone back from IR again this year. The first slot was burned earlier this month when second-round pick Tyquan Lewis was brought onto the 53-man roster.
The Colts, who are riding a five-game winning streak, will look to stay on the right path when they face the Jaguars in Jacksonville on Sunday. According to Five Thirty Eight, they still have a 29% chance of reaching the playoffs with a 10% shot at capturing the AFC South title.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/28/18
Today’s practice squad updates:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: CB Chris Jones
Chicago Bears
- Signed: WR Cyril Grayson
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: OL Michael Dunn
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: RB Troymaine Pope
- Released: LB Jonathan Celestin
Seattle Seahawks
- Released: WR Malachi Dupre
Washington Redskins
- Signed: LB Josh Carraway
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/29/18
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: QB Chad Kanoff
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived from injured reserve: TE DeAndre Goolsby
Broncos Waive LB A.J. Johnson
The Broncos waived linebacker Alexander Johnson, as Mike Klis of 9News tweets. To take his place, the club promoted outside linebacker Jeff Holland from the practice squad to active roster. 
Johnson, a Tennessee product, signed with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent in the offseason. The talented ‘backer hadn’t played football in more than four years before landing signing with Denver, thanks to a rape charge of which he was later acquitted. Despite his potential and the $50K guarantee on his contract, he was active for just one game this year.
The soon-to-be 27-year-old recently plead guilty to simple possession and failure to exercise due care while driving, but prosecutors dropped the DUI charge stemming from his 2017 arrest. With no present legal troubles, it’s possible that another team will claim him on waivers, but it’s more likely that he’ll hit the workout circuit as a free agent next week.
Holland, meanwhile, will serve as a pass rusher while Shaquil Barrett is out with a hip flexor issue. Holland received a $15K signing bonus on his UDFA deal, just like standout running back Phillip Lindsay, so the Broncos are excited to see what he can do.
Bengals Place Jake Fisher On IR
The Bengals placed offensive lineman Jake Fisher on injured reserve due to his ailing back, per a team announcement. Fisher is now the 14th player to land on the Bengals’ IR this season. 
The Bengals acted fast to replace Fisher, signing old friend Andre Smith on Thursday morning. Smith may offer experience and familiarity with the Bengals’ blocking schemes, but he is far less skilled at this point in his career than the 25-year-old.
Fisher, a second-round pick in the 2015 draft, also missed half of the 2017 season with an irregular heartbeat. This is a disappointing way for his 2018 season to end, especially since he is slated to reach the open market in March.
The Bengals, who are also without starting quarterback Andy Dalton, face extremely long odds of making the postseason. According to Five Thirty Eight, they have just a 6% chance of making the playoffs with a 1% probability of passing the Steelers and Ravens to win the AFC North.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/28/18
Today’s minor moves:
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: S Eddie Pleasant
- Waived: LB Korey Toomer
Miami Dolphins
- Placed on injured reserve: WR Jakeem Grant (story)
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Isaiah Ford
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted from practice squad: CB David Rivers