NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/11/17
Today’s practice squad updates:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: T Givens Price
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: K Mike Meyer, DL Jonathan Woodard
- Placed on injured list: TE Joshua Perkins
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: DT Mike Purcell
Chicago Bears
- Signed: LB Carl Bradford, WR Darreus Rogers
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: WR Amba Etta-Tawo
- Released: LB Marcus Rush
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DL Jeremy Liggins
- Released: DL Noble Nwachukwu
Dolphins Hire Dave DeGuglielmo As Asst.
The Dolphins have hired Dave DeGuglielmo as a senior offensive assistant, the club announced today. Jeff Darlington of ESPN.com first linked DeGuglielmo to Miami earlier this week. DeGuglielmo will replace Chris Foerster, who resigned on Monday after a video was posted showing Foerster snorting a white substance.
Although DeGuglielmo will land in South Beach, it doesn’t appear that he’ll be formally taking over as the club’s offensive line coach. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald indicated on Tuesday that that could be the case, and assistant offensive line coach Chris Kuper will presumably take on a more prominent role in leading the Dolphins’ front five.
DeGuglielmo, 49, offers vast experience as an offensive line coach at both the collegiate and NFL level. He’s worked for Miami before, as he was the club’s line coach from 2009-11. Most recently, DeGuglielmo served as the Patriots’ offensive line coach from 2014-15 and as an assistant with the Chargers in 2016.
While Foerster clearly didn’t resign because of the Dolphins’ on-field performance, Miami’s offensive line has been nothing special this season. The unit is below average in both adjusted line yards and adjusted sack rate, per Football Outsiders, while none of the Dolphins’ linemen rank inside the top-20 at their respective positions, according to Pro Football Focus.
DeGuglielmo earned a job in Miami, but Dave Magazu — who worked under Dolphins head coach Adam Gase in both Denver and Chicago — was reportedly in consideration for a gig, as well.
Dan Orlovsky To Retire
Former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky has announced his retirement in a piece for Sports Spectrum.
Orlovsky, 34, entered the league as a fifth-round pick out of UConn in 2005. He participated in two separate stints with the Lions — the club that drafted him — and is perhaps best-known for his seven-game run as a starter for Detroit in 2008. After one season with the Texans, Orlovsky started five games for the Colts in 2011 before landing with the Buccaneers from 2012-13 and re-joining the Lions in 2015.
Orlovsky inked a deal with the Rams this summer, but he was released after losing out to Sean Mannion in the Los Angeles backup quarterback battle. The Rams ultimately brought in a third quarterback — former Jaguars draft pick Brandon Allen — off waivers just days after cutting Orlovsky.
PFR extends its best wishes to Orlovsky in retirement.
NFL: No Change To National Anthem Policy
Although reports earlier this week indicated that the NFL may force players to stand for the national anthem, the NFL and NFLPA today released a joint statement indicating that the league’s policy has not been altered.
“Commissioner Roger Goodell reached out to NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith today and both he and player leadership will attend the League meetings next week. There has been no change in the current policy regarding the anthem.
The agenda will be a continuation of how to make progress on the important social issues that players have vocalized. Everyone who is part of our NFL community has a tremendous respect for our country, our flag, our anthem and our military, and we are coming together to deal with these issues in a civil and constructive way.”
Goodell released his own memo earlier this week in which he stated the following: “Like many of our fans, we believe that everyone should stand for the National Anthem.” That, combined with indications that the NFL itself would mandate standing for the anthem, generated a round of controversy on top of what has already become a hot-button issue.
Jets Work Out DE Armonty Bryant
Former Lions defensive end Armonty Bryant worked out for the Jets on Wednesday, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Bryant was released by Detroit just before he was due to return from a four-game suspension. 
Bryant has been banned by the NFL for three times in the past year. The most recent suspension was for a violation of the league’s substance abuse policy.
Despite playing in just five games in 2016, Bryant managed to tally three sacks. In the previous season, he racked up 5.5 sacks across 14 games. He is not a world-beater, but he could be a viable option for the Jets as they look to fortify their edge rushing depth.
On Tuesday, the Jets auditioned former Bucs defensive end Jacquies Smith.
Latest On Giants’ DRC
On Wednesday, the Giants suspended Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie after he got into an argument with coach Ben McAdoo. We now have some additional information on how things came to a head between the two. 
[RELATED: Giants Work Out Several WRs]
The issues between McAdoo and DRC started last Friday, when the cornerback walked out of the team’s “recovery day” session, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano (Twitter link) reports. Then, during Sunday’s loss to the Chargers, the cornerback threw his helmet down on the sideline and walked off the field. On Tuesday, DRC was informed that he would not be active for the upcoming game against the Broncos. On Wednesday, DRC bailed on a defensive team meeting, prompting the ban.
Despite everything that went on, the Giants have no plans to release or trade Rodgers-Cromartie, Graziano hears. Instead, they plan to welcome him once he has served his punishment. And, for his part, DRC says he’ll report to the Giants on Thursday (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson).
Giants Work Out Several WRs
In case you haven’t heard, the Giants are on the lookout for wide receiver help. On Wednesday, the Giants worked out a host of potential replacements, including Philly Brown, Demarcus Ayers, Kalif Raymond, Jeremy Ross, and Canaan Severin. 
[RELATED: Giants Suspend CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie]
Of course, no one in the group offers the same name value as injured stars Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandon Marshall. But, here in mid-October, options are limited. Brown, a former standout at Ohio State, may offer the most potential of anyone in the group. He had 31 catches for 447 yards and four touchdowns in 2015 for the Panthers, though his yards-per-catch average dipped sharply in 2016.
If Sterling Shepard cannot go in Week 6, the Giants will have only Roger Lewis, Travis Rudolph, Tavarres King, and Ed Eagan at wide receiver.
Bengals TE Tyler Eifert Done For Year?
Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert is deciding whether to have the third back surgery of his career, sources tell Field Yates and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). If Eifert has the operation, it will end his season after just two appearances.
When healthy, Eifert is one of the NFL’s most dynamic tight ends. Unfortunately, his career has been marred by back, knee, and ankle problems. He missed half of the 2016 season and nearly all of the 2014 season due to injury. In 2015, when he appeared in all but three games, he caught 52 passes for 615 yards and 13 touchdowns en route to his first Pro Bowl selection.
The 27-year-old is scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency next spring after his fifth-year option expires. The Bengals have not allowed a Pro Bowl player under the age of 32 to leave via free agency since 2011, but Eifert’s medical history likely prevented the two sides from agreeing to an extension over the summer.
With a productive and season, Eifert was likely looking at a multi-year deal with a $10MM+ average annual value. If his 2017 campaign ends here in October, he won’t come anywhere near those figures.
Michael Bowie Has Charges Dropped
Charges against former Giants offensive lineman Michael Bowie have been dropped, as Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. The Giants did not rule out an eventual reunion with Bowie, so it’s possible that they will circle back to him to help bolster the offensive line. 
The Giants cut Bowie in August when the accusations against him came to light. Bowie was involved in an argument with his girlfriend in Oklahoma that allegedly turned physical. Police said Bowie to have grabbed his girlfriend by the neck and threw her to the ground. He also was said to have broken two televisions and punched a hole in a wall in the process. The lineman was facing charges of domestic assault and battery plus two counts of malicious injury or destruction of property, but he’s now in the clear from a legal perspective.
The NFL could still come down on Bowie with a suspension, but the investigative process tends to take a while, so he should be able to play right away if signed by a team.
The Giants are set to meet with Branden Albert this week, so they’re definitely on the lookout for some O-Line help.
Cowboys DT Stephen Paea Retires
Cowboys defensive tackle Stephen Paea informed his coaches on Wednesday that he is retiring, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Naturally, this comes as a huge surprise here in Week 6. Paea’s retirement comes just moments after owner Jerry Jones finished meeting with players regarding the anthem protests, but we don’t have confirmation yet on whether that was what sparked the decision.
Paea was the Cowboys’ starter at right defensive tackle through the first four games of the season. He missed the Week 5 game against the Packers with a knee issue and was said to be questionable for Week 7 against the Niners on the other side of the bye.
Through one month of action, Paea has not looked like his old self. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus have him ranked as the second worst qualified interior defensive lineman in the NFL. Last year, he ranked as PFF’s 40th-best interior D-lineman among 127 qualifiers.
Paea, still only 29, was signed this offseason to replace the departed Terrell McClain. He became even more vital to the Cowboys’ front four when Cedric Thornton was released in early September.
The Cowboys were Paea’s fourth – and apparently final – NFL team. Since entering the league as a second-round pick in 2011, he has also suited up for the Bears, Redskins, and Browns.