NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/6/16
Thursday’s practice squad moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: DE Larry Webster (Twitter link via Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer)
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DL Gabe Wright
- Cut: WR Darius Jennings
Dez Bryant Likely Out Sunday
Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant will test his injured right knee in practice Friday, but he’s unlikely to play Sunday against the Bengals, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Bryant, who suffered a hairline fracture in Week 3, sat out Dallas’ 24-17 win in San Francisco last Sunday. The 3-1 Cowboys are now set for a more difficult test in the form of the playoff-contending Bengals (2-2).
Injuries have helped cut down Bryant’s production since last season, unfortunately, as the 27-year-old has suited up for just 12 of the Cowboys’ past 20 games. His statistical drop-off has also coincided with the more serious injuries quarterback Tony Romo has dealt with going back to last year.
Romo hasn’t yet taken the field this season because of a back issue, thereby paving the way for rookie Dak Prescott to take the reins. The fourth-rounder from Mississippi State has easily exceeded expectations, having completed 67.9 percent of passes and gone 131 attempts without an interception. Only 11 of Prescott’s 89 completions have gone to Bryant, whom Prescott has targeted 23 times, after the three-time Pro Bowl wideout picked up just 31 grabs and three touchdowns on 74 targets in 2015. Bryant also averaged a career-worst 12.9 yards per catch, which is up slightly this year (13.6).
Off the field, Bryant has reportedly exhibited a “pattern of irresponsible behavior” since the Cowboys drafted him 24th overall in 2010. The ex-Oklahoma State star has missed between 20 and 40 team meetings during his NFL career, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, with a source informing him that Bryant’s longevity is in question because of poor sleep and dietary habits. However, the Cowboys have stuck by the immensely talented Bryant, who is under team control through 2019 thanks to the five-year, $70MM deal he inked in July 2015.
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Cam Newton Unlikely To Play Monday
If the defending NFC champion Panthers are going to start digging out out of a 1-3 hole in Week 5, they might have to do it without quarterback Cam Newton. The reigning NFL MVP remains in concussion protocol as a result of a fourth-quarter hit in the Panthers’ 48-33 loss to the Falcons last Sunday and has missed back-to-back practices. As a result, he’s unlikely to suit up Monday in Tampa Bay, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.
While it could benefit Newton and the Panthers that he has an extra day to recover, the club only has two light practices remaining before Monday. That doesn’t bode well for a player who must successfully go through the NFL’s various steps to return from a concussion, as Person notes.
Newton hasn’t missed a game since 2014, and the two he sat out that year also came against the NFC South rival Buccaneers (1-3). Derek Anderson, who will start Monday if Newton can’t, completed 49-of-74 passes for 507 yards and three touchdowns in those matchups as he helped the Panthers to a pair of wins. Anderson relieved Newton last week and turned in an uneven performance, connecting on 17-of-23 attempts for 172 yards, two scores and two interceptions.
Newton led the Panthers to a 15-1 record last year while combining for 45 TDs (35 passing, 10 rushing) and nearly 4,500 total yards, but he hasn’t been nearly as effective this season. With five interceptions, the sixth-year man is already halfway to last season’s 16-game total and has also experienced a drop-off in most other major statistical categories. More alarmingly, he has now dealt with concussion questions multiple times in less than a month. In a Week 1 loss to the Broncos, Newton absorbed a handful of helmet-to-helmet hits, though team doctors determined that he didn’t suffer a concussion.
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AFC Notes: Gronk, Broncos, Raiders
Appearing on CSNNE (video link), Albert Breer of TheMMQB said that he wouldn’t be totally shocked if the Patriots decided to eventually trade tight end Rob Gronkowski. When healthy, Gronkowski is a game-changing force who can terrorize any defense. However, he has had trouble staying healthy and he can sometimes be a high-maintenance player. In the past, Breer notes that those types of players have not lasted long in New England.
Here’s more from the AFC:
- It appeared earlier this week that Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian would miss at least one game because of an AC joint sprain in his non-throwing shoulder, but he could start Sunday against Atlanta, per Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post. Siemian resumed throwing on a limited basis during individual and seven-on-seven drills Thursday. That encouraged head coach Gary Kubiak, who called Siemian’s progress a “big step forward,” though he cautioned that the team will have to gauge the 24-year-old’s soreness on Friday. If Siemian is unable to play, rookie Paxton Lynch will make his first career start. The first-rounder from Memphis debuted in relief of Siemian in the Broncos’ 27-7 win in Tampa Bay last Sunday, completing 14-of-24 passes for 170 yards and a touchdown.
- While the NFL is reviewing a June incident in which Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib shot himself in the leg, potential punishment from the league probably isn’t imminent, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS. Talib will play Sunday, and the league is unlikely to make a decision on his status by the Broncos’ game next Thursday in San Diego. The 30-year-old has already intercepted three passes, already equaling his 2015 total, and will match up against Falcons superstar receiver Julio Jones on Sunday.
- The Raiders worked out tight end Rob Housler, as Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. The team has since promoted UDFA Ryan O’Malley to the 53-man roster, so Housler probably won’t be signing with Oakland at this time. The Raiders lost Lee Smith to injury earlier this week and he is likely done for the year after going on IR.
Connor Byrne contributed to this post.
Saints Sign Khalif Barnes
No, this is not a re-post. The Saints are signing offensive lineman Khalif Barnes, according to Nick Underhill of The Advocate (on Twitter). To make room on the roster, cornerback Brian Dixon is being released. The Saints made this exact same transaction in reverse on Saturday. 
The 34-year-old Barnes has been yo-yo’d on and off of the Saints’ roster this year. After being cut on October 1st, Barnes apparently did not drift far from New Orleans. Coach Sean Payton said that Barnes was not in football shape in September, but his conditioning is presumably better now.
Dixon, a third-year UDFA out of Division II Northwest Missouri State, played in all 32 of New Orleans’ contests in 2014-15 as a backup. Given the way the Saints have been playing with the roster, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him return in the near future.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Cardinals Cut RB Kerwynn Williams
The Cardinals have released running back Kerwynn Williams, as Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com tweets. In his place, the team has promoted tight end Hakeem Valles from the practice squad. 
Williams was signed earlier this week after running back Chris Johnson was placed on IR. However, the reunion was short lived. With Williams out of the picture, the Cardinals now have one-time starter Andre Ellington and Stepfan Taylor behind David Johnson.
Valles, soon-to-be 24, came to the Cardinals this year as an undrafted free agent out of Monmouth. The 6’5″, 260 pound athlete was among the team’s final cuts before the 53-man deadline but quickly agreed to join Arizona’s practice squad.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
No Deal For Bills, Karlos Williams?
Earlier today, it was reported that Karlos Williams would be working out for the Bills this week with a deal effectively agreed upon between the two sides. Apparently, that’s not quite the case. Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News (on Twitter) hears from a team source that the odds of a deal are now “50/50.” Meanwhile, Ryan Talbot of NewYorkUpstate.com hears that the Bills have cancelled Williams’ work out. 
Williams is highly talented, but also a handful to deal with off the field. This year, the league office suspended the running back for the first four games of the season due to a substance abuse policy violation. Then, in the summer, Williams ballooned up to 261 pounds, up from his 2015 playing weight of 229. The Bills grew tired of the headaches caused by Williams and they released him in August.
The Bills signed veteran Reggie Bush to serve as Williams’ primary backup, but that addition hasn’t really panned out. Williams would make sense for Buffalo as a complement to LeSean McCoy, but it doesn’t appear that there is any deal in place at the moment.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
49ers Activate LB Aaron Lynch
As expected, the 49ers have activated linebacker Aaron Lynch. To make room, the team has officially placed linebacker NaVorro Bowman on injured reserve. 
Lynch was suspended without pay for the first month of the season after running afoul of the league’s Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse. Lynch, 23, has appeared in 30 games for SF over the last two years with 16 total starts. In his rookie year, Lynch made a mark when he tallied 23 tackles and 6 sacks. In 2015, he improved on those numbers in a 14-game season, racking up 38 tackles and 6.5 sacks. Now, he’ll rejoin a Niners team that has totaled just seven sacks through four games.
The Niners announced on Wednesday that Bowman is done for the year after suffering a torn Achilles.
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NFC Notes: Falcons, Redskins, Cardinals
The NFL today informed the Falcons they’ll forfeit the first three days of OTAs in 2017 for violating NFL-NFLPA work rules for excessive contact in practice. Atlanta is the second team to receive punishment for that infraction following sanctions against the Seahawks. The Falcons aren’t happy about the punishment, but they did not face the heavy fines and draft penalties that the Seahawks did as repeat offenders.
“We take player safety very seriously and work hard to ensure that we are in compliance with league rules,” the Falcons wrote in a statement Thursday.
Here’s more from the NFC:
- The Redskins tried to fortify their roster through free agency but, so far, those additions haven’t panned out, John Keim of ESPN.com writes. Last year, signings like cornerback Chris Culliver, defensive end Stephen Paea, nose tackle Terrance Knighton, and Junior Galette all flopped for various reasons. This year, spring signing Kendall Reyes was dropped just four games into the year and safety David Bruton was placed on IR after a poor start to the season.
- Cardinals coach Bruce Arians says that he has his “fingers crossed” when it comes to the recoveries of running back Chris Johnson and safety Tyvon Branch because it’s possible that one of them could be healthy enough to return this year (Twitter link via Alex Marvez of the Sporting News). Both players were placed on IR this week with groin injuries. Teams can only bring one player back from IR each season, so it’s effectively a race between the two to see who can get healthier first.
- Veteran guard/tackle Garrett Reynolds worked out for the Lions on Tuesday, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets.
- The Cowboys are auditioning kickers as Dan Bailey deals with a sore back.
- The Vikings, meanwhile, have no plans to try out kickers at this time, despite Blair Walsh’s issues.
Bills To Re-Sign Karlos Williams
Karlos Williams is set to return to the NFL and it sounds like he’s going to do it with the only team he’s ever known. The running back is visiting with the Bills today, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter), and the Bills are expected to re-sign him. It is not immediately clear whether Williams has signed a practice squad deal or an active roster deal, but it is presumably the latter.
Despite a rookie year in which he averaged 5.6 yards per carry, picked up 613 scrimmage yards, and scored nine times on just 104 touches, Williams has proven to be a bit of a headache. He was suspended for the first four games of the 2016 season after violating the league’s substance abuse policy, and he struggled with his weight throughout the offseason. The Bills opted to cut Williams in August and he went unclaimed on waivers.
If he is on the 53-man roster, the 2015 fifth-round pick will resume his old place as a backup behind starter LeSean McCoy. And if that’s the case, veteran Reggie Bush could be on the outs.
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