Bengals Work Out Four Tight Ends
With Tyler Eifert out for the season after opting to undergo back surgery last week, the Bengals got an up close look at a number of free agent tight ends today.
Cincinnati worked out veterans Larry Donnell, Jace Amaro, Gavin Escobar and John Phillips, tweets Adam Caplan of Sirius XM.
None of these options are particularly intriguing given the overall lack of production across the board, but it does show a pointed attempt to address a position that’s very much in flux with Eifert gone for the rest of the season.
Up to this point, the team has mostly relied on Tyler Kroft and C.J. Uzomah to take snaps in Eifert’s place. Kroft, 25, has been the more offensively productive of the two, having caught 14 balls for 139 yards and two scores, which both came in the team’s first victory of the year two weeks ago against the Browns.
The Bengals had a bye in Week 6, but will look to build on their current two-game winning streak when they travel to Pittsburgh to take on the AFC North division leading Steelers this coming Sunday.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/16/17
Today’s practice squad updates:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: DL Peli Anau
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: RB Brian Hill
Chicago Bears
- Signed: WR Nelson Spruce
- Released: LB Jason Thompson
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: TE Scott Orndoff
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: DB Charlie Miller
Los Angeles Chargers
- Released: LeShun Daniels
New York Jets
- Signed: WR Jalin Marshall
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: S Jordan Dangerfield
- Released: S Jacob Hagen
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: LB Josh Forrest
Washington Redskins
- Signed: OL Andreas Knappe
- Released: OL Jerry Ugokwe
Packers Unlikely To Add Veteran QB
The Packers are unlikely to sign a veteran quarterback to their active roster after losing starter Aaron Rodgers to a broken collarbone, head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter links).
McCarthy had already committed to Brett Hundley as Green Bay’s starter during Rodgers’ absence, and that’s perhaps unsurprising given that Hundley — a 2015 draft pick — has now been in the Packers’ system for nearly three years. Joe Callahan, promoted from Green Bay’s practice squad earlier today, will serve as Hundley’s backup going forward.
That’s not to say the Packers won’t add a quarterback, but it isn’t expected to be a veteran. McCarthy did allow that Green Bay is open to placing another signal-caller on its active roster, while Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link) reports the Packers’ personnel department is searching for a quarterback to add to the team’s practice squad. Indeed, Green Bay is likely to audition passers this week, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com.
An experienced quarterback such as Colin Kaepernick is not a likely option for the Packers, and McCarthy “bristled” at the notion of signing the ex-49er. However, McCarthy would have had the same reaction to the idea of adding any veteran signal-caller, per Dianna Russini of ESPN.com (Twitter link), as the head coach’s ire wasn’t directed at Kaepernick, but merely the thought of adding a player with no ties to the Packers’ offense to the QB room.
While the idea of sticking with Hundley as Rodgers’ replacement makes sense from a continuity standpoint, the Packers are certainly pushing forward with little experience under center. Prior to Sunday, Hundley had attempted just 11 passes, while Callahan has never appeared in a pro contest.
Broncos To Bring Shane Ray Back
Broncos outside linebacker Shane Ray has been officially designated as a short-term injured reserve player, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. That means he is now allowed to practice. 
The NFL’s recently modified injured reserve rules allow teams to activate up to two players from IR each season. However, a player must first spend six weeks off of the practice field and an additional two weeks out of from live action. With today’s move, Ray becomes the first NFL player to receive the IR-DTR designation in 2017.
Ray broke out in 2016, racking up 48 tackles and eight sacks in his 664 snaps. Only two Broncos linebackers – Von Miller and Todd Davis – saw more action than Ray last year. He ranked an above-average 45th in overall performance among Pro Football Focus’ 110 qualified edge defenders.
Ray was expected to start the year with a major role in the front seven, but surgery on his left wrist put a damper on those plans. It remains to be seen whether he will jump right into a starting role when he returns to the field.
Branden Albert Declines Seahawks’ Offer
The Seahawks tried to sign Branden Albert, but they apparently did not put enough money on the table. Despite receiving an offer, the tackle has left the Seattle area without a deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 
Over the weekend, Albert postponed a scheduled meeting with the Giants since he was close to signing with Seattle. Now that he’s not joining up with the Seahawks, it’s possible that he will circle back to the G-Men.
Albert’s asking price may have been to high, but the Seahawks’ best and only alternative right now is to move forward with Rees Odhiambo, who ranks as the worst tackle in the league, according to Pro Football Focus. Despite the shaky offensive line, the Seahawks are 3-2 as they come off of their bye week. Strangely enough, the Giants are next up on the schedule.
Aaron Rodgers To Have Surgery
It’s not official yet, but it sure sounds like Aaron Rodgers‘ season is over. Packers coach Mike McCarthy tells reporters that the quarterback needs surgery to fix his broken collarbone (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). The operation almost definitely will rule him out for the rest of the year. 
Rodgers suffered the fracture when he was tackled hard by Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr on Sunday. Rodgers is arguably the best quarterback in the league and it’s fair to wonder if Green Bay can survive without him. Through six weeks of action, Rodgers was among the league’s top-10 in both completion percentage and quarterback rating, and tossed 13 touchdowns against versus just three picks.
Rodgers broke his left collarbone during the 2013 campaign and missed only seven games, but this time around he’ll need surgery since it’s on his throwing side.
The Packers are tied with the Vikings for the best record in the NFC North, but they currently own the tiebreaker.
Chiefs Re-Sign C.J. Spiller
C.J. Spiller has been released by the Chiefs three times in the last six weeks. But, once again, he has been re-signed to the roster, as Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star reports. 
Spiller, now signed by the Chiefs on four separate occasions in 2017, has not taken the field for them in the regular season. His last KC stint ended on September 16 when he was cut to make room for UDFA RB Akeem Hunt. He may now get his chance to actually see the field following Charcandrick West‘s concussion, though he’ll slot behind starter Kareem Hunt and A. Hunt.
Spiller totaled 1,244 rushing yards back in 2012, but he’s only ran for 1,363 yards in the four seasons since. He split the 2016 campaign between the Seahawks and Jets, compiling just 18 rushing yards on six carries.
The 5-1 Chiefs have just a few days to prepare for their Thursday night showdown with the Raiders.
Raiders To Sign NaVorro Bowman
NaVorro Bowman is already off of the market. The linebacker has agreed to a one-year, $3MM deal with the Raiders, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 
Bowman seemed to have a free agent tour set up for this week, including a scheduled visit with the Cowboys. However, the Raiders did not let him leave without a deal. Currently in a four-game skid, the veteran Mike linebacker could help to fortify the front seven and turn their season around. Bowman, apparently, was not deterred by their recent slump.
Bowman was considered to be a world-class player not long ago and he was understandably frustrated by the Niners’ decision to rotate him with other middle linebackers this season. The team also drafted his eventual replacement in Reuben Foster, so it was clear that the two would be parting ways at some point. The Niners tried to trade Bowman and even had a potential deal lined up with the Saints, but they granted him his release when he requested that he be able to test free agency instead.
Leaving San Francisco was bittersweet for Bowman, but the lack of offset language in his contract probably made it a bit easier to swallow. Had their been offset language in his contract, the Niners would have been able to collect on whatever new salary Bowman signed for. In those cases, veteran players often wind up settling for the minimum salary (and, in a sense, playing for free) since the money just goes to the old team. However, Bowman was able to double-dip here, meaning that he has tacked $3MM on to his base pay for 2017. If he performs at a high level the rest of the way, he could collect on a lucrative free agent deal after the season.
The Raiders, currently at 2-4, have the second worst defensive DVOA in the league. They have allowed 117.2 rushing yards per contest and 233 passing yards per game.
Bills Activate Seantrel Henderson
Seantrel Henderson is back. The Bills have activated the offensive lineman from the suspension list, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. To make room, cornerback Greg Mabin has been released. 
Henderson, a former starter in Buffalo, should offer some quality depth on the offensive line. He was first string for all 16 regular season games as a rookie in 2014, but things took a weird turn for him after that point. Last year, he was hit with a ten-game substance abuse policy suspension, though Henderson says he was only using marijuana to help treat symptoms of his Crohn’s disease.
In August, Henderson accepted a pay cut that brought his non-guaranteed base salary of $1.797MM down to just $690K. He’s expected to offer support for starters Cordy Glenn and Jordan Mills, which should allow rookie swing tackle Dion Dawkins to concentrate on playing in the middle.
Packers Place CB Quinten Rollins On IR
The Packers have placed cornerback Quinten Rollins on injured reserve (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). Rollins was carted off the field on Sunday after suffering an ankle injury. 
By placing Rollins on IR, the Packers will buy themselves some time on what to do with Aaron Rodgers. After breaking his collarbone, the Packers will almost certainly have to park Rodgers on IR. Doing that will officially rule him out for two months, however, so the Packers want to exhaust every other option before making that irreversible decision.
Rollins, 25, had 17 total tackles through six games this year. He made only one start in 2017, but he made ten starts for Green Bay in 2016.
Rollins’ roster spot will be filled by the promotion of quarterback Joe Callahan.