Take a look at the NFL News and Notes as we enter into Week 5 of the season
Updates On Le’Veon Bell
It appears as if there is at least a little movement with Le’Veon Bell’s camp. While a trade has not been struck, there is the belief that Bell could return to Pittsburgh during their bye week in week 7 if he isn’t traded before that. Frankly, it will likely not take too much to get him, or at least not fair market value.
With rumors suggesting that a 3rd round pick is enough to possibly get a deal done, another suitor has come forward for the disgruntled running back. The defending champion Philadelphia Eagles are seriously considering getting involved in trade sweepstakes. Jay Ajayi is leading all Eagles’ running backs right now with 155 yards on 37 attempts and 3 touchdowns, but even he has dealt with both consistency and health issues early on.
Seahawks’ Earl Thomas Out For Season
After initially holding out all of the training camp looking for a better deal, the Seahawks safety, Earl Thomas, got bad news as he will be out for the season with an ankle injury. While no deal came to fruition (extension nor trade), he hesitantly returned to the field for the Seahawks.
Just a few weeks later, and he may be wishing he remained with his holdout. The Seahawks had been in discussions to try to trade the All-Pro, and it appears that they might have been willing to reduce their demands for Earl Thomas from their previous stance. Unfortunately now, for both the player and the team, Thomas will finish out this season on the injured list before hitting free agency in the offseason. It will be interesting to see how his injury affects his market this offseason, but for now, the Seahawks have to sit the safety for the rest of this season.
Could Tyrod Taylor Be On The Trading Block?
With Baker Mayfield having taken over as the starter for the Cleveland Browns, it is only natural to think about what the future of quarterback Tyrod Taylor will be. It would probably behoove the Browns to at least see what people are offering, but if something were to happen to Mayfield, Taylor would be an above average replacement. This season, Taylor is 41 for 84 (48.81% completion percent), with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.
Mayfield, since taking over the role, is now 38 for 64, also with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Furthermore, Taylor had 16 rushing attempts for 125 yards and a touchdown. While Taylor does not have much of a ceiling, he certainly has a higher floor than most backups. For now, Taylor is focusing on any opportunities he may get, but for the Browns, it looks like those opportunites are all going to Mayfile for now.
Julian Edelman Returns To Action For Patriots
Julian Edelman has been the safety net that Tom Brady has sorely been missing through the first part of the season. On Thursday, Brady got his wide receiver back. After missing all of last year with an ACL injury and the first four games of this season with a suspension, Edelman proved useful on Thursday. In the 38-24 win over the Indianapolis Colts, Edelman had 7 catches for 57 yards. Throw on Josh Gordon, Rob Gronkowski, Chris Hogan and James White, and all of a sudden this could be a very dangerous group to put around the future Hall-of-Famer in Tom Brady.
Additionally, Sony Michel has played well in the absence of Rex Burkhead. On the season, Michel has 294 rushing yards on 67 carries. He also has 2 touchdowns on the ground. Again, after the first couple of weeks where the Patriots looked lost at times, their offense seems like it is starting to click.
Tyler Eifert Can’t Catch A Break
When healthy, Tyler Eifert is one of the most physically talented players at tight end in the NFL. Unfortunately for Eifert and the Bengals, though, he struggles to stay healthy. Sadly, this rang true again this year the Bengals placed him on the injured reserve after suffering a broken ankle. After the season, Eifert will be a free agent. It is likely that his physical tools will convince a team to bite, but after only playing in 28 games over the last 5 years, his health will have to improve if he ever wants to maintain a consistent job in the NFL. Prior to the injury, he had 15 catches for 179 yards and a touchdown this season.
Taking Eifert’s place on the active roster is Vontaze Burfict. After being suspended for the first four weeks of the season due to a PED suspension, Burfict will return to the Bengal’s linebacking crew.
Cowboys Still Don’t Have Interest in Dez Bryant
Dez Bryant is finding that he is having a lot more difficulty finding a deal to his liking than he anticipated. With negotiations having fallen through with other teams, Bryant has switched his tune on his former team, the Dallas Cowboys. Despite having poked shots at them over the last couple months, his unemployment has him saying he would love to play there again. Despite his newfound affection, it does not appear that owner Jerry Jones reciprocates the affection, at least in terms of on the field. Still, as teams begin to deal with injuries as the season progresses, it does not seem far fetched to think that Bryant will, at some point, latch on somewhere.
