Cole out; Davis in

The Colts defense will not have OLB Trent Cole against the Titans. He's inactive with a knee injury. Top CB Vontae Davis, however, is active after being questionable with the concussion that knocked him out of Monday's loss to the Jets. Cole's absence hurts the Indy pass rush, but that group hadn't impressed through 2 weeks anyway. The Colts make for a boom-bust D/ST play in fantasy football today, with more bust potential on the road against a QB with good accuracy and mobility.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that the Colts "are signing" former Eagles OLB Trent Cole. Philly tried to restructure the veteran's contract before releasing him this offseason but couldn't reach agreement. Indy, meanwhile, watched 5th-round rookie OLB Jonathan Newsome lead the team with 6.5 sacks in 2014. The Colts address an obvious need, even with Robert Mathis expected to return. We'll be interested to see how the roles shake out, but Cole looks like an early favorite to start. Your IDP league will need to heavily favor sacks and other pressure stats to make him valuable in fantasy football, though.

The Eagles on Tuesday released OLB Trent Cole. The 10-year veteran had been with the team since Philly drafted him in the 5th round back in 2005. The 2 sides reportedly discussed a contract restructuring but apparently couldn't reach a deal. With the Eagles also apparently unlikely to re-sign OLB Brandon Graham before he reaches free agency, Philly suddenly faces a big need on the edge. Marcus Smith, last year's 1st-round pick, proved unready to contribute at all as a rookie, so it's tough to expect him to fill a big role in 2015. The Eagles could be looking at 1 of the 1st-round edge-rushers in this year's NFL draft and/or could look to players such as Pernell McPhee, Jabaal Sheard, Jason Worilds or Akeem Ayers in free agency.

Eagles HC Chip Kelly told reporters today that OLB Trent Cole will have surgery on his broken hand this week and miss Saturday's game at Washington. That pushes Brandon Graham into the starting lineup, which shouldn't present a drop-off for the pass rush against a Washington offense that has allowed a lot of sacks in recent weeks. Philly stands as 1 of the top defensive plays in fantasy football this week because of sack and turnover potential. Graham carries plenty of upside in sack-heavy IDP leagues.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Eagles LB Trent Cole fractured a bone in his hand Sunday night against the Cowboys and calls him no more than a "long shot" to play against Washington in Week 16. Cole's absence would press Brandon Graham into the lineup, a change that might not make much difference for the team D's outlook. Graham would carry upside in sack-heavy IDP formats against a team that has yielded 5+ sacks in 6 straight contests.

ESPN's Sal Paolantonio reports that DE Trent Cole is nearing a contract extension with the Eagles. Cole would have been due to hit free agency in 2013 but is clearly a cornerstone player for Philly on D. The Andy Reid Eagles have a history of moving on from over-30 players they believe to be at or near decline. They have also kept guys like Brian Dawkins and Jeremiah Trotter around beyond that threshold. Cole is a top-shelf lineman in IDP leagues and should remain among the 1st 5 DEs drafted.