NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/3/17
Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Connor Harris, OL Vinston Painter
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: TE Gabe Holmes, CB Stanley Jean-Baptiste
- Cut: CB Josh Thornton
- Placed on IR: FB Ricky Ortiz
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: LB Zeek Bigger
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: WR Rannell Hall
Detroit Lions
- Signed: OL Brandon Thomas
- Cut: WR Noel Thomas
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: TE Evan Baylis
- Placed on injured list: TE Marcus Lucas
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: WR Kolby Listenbee
New York Jets
- Cut: RB Marcus Murphy
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: CB D.J. Killings
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: TE/FB Alan Cross
- Cut: RB Russell Hansbrough
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: WR C.J. Board
- Cut: CB Kenneth Durden
Washington Redskins
- Signed: QB Joel Stave, OL Jerry Ugokwe
- Released: QB Alek Torgersen
Jets Cut TE Will Tye
The Jets have released tight end Will Tye. Tye was a healthy scratch on Sunday, so his release doesn’t come as a major surprise. 
Tye, 26 in November, started 17 games for the Giants over the past two seasons. He was waived during roster cutdowns but the Jets claimed him 24 hours later. Since entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2015, Tye averaged 45 receptions, 430 yards, and two touchdowns for the Giants, but he had just four catches for 38 yards in three games for Gang Green..
Tye’s roster spot may be filled by the return of wide receiver Jalin Marshall. Marshall is eligible to return this week after serving a four-game ban for Adderall.
Even with Tye out of the picture, the Jets still have four tight ends on the roster in Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Neal Sterling, Eric Tomlinson, and Jordan Leggett.
NFL: We’re Not Moving Chargers Back To SD
The Chargers are in a “Fight For L.A.” and, so far, they’re losing. The Bolts are 0-4 and playing in front of crowds that cannot fill up the 27,000 StubHub Center, but the league says it will not reverse course on the move. 
“There is no discussion of returning to San Diego from the league or the club,” a league spokesperson told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
We’re only one month into the Chargers’ inaugural season in Los Angeles, but it already looks like the team and the league may have made a judgement error. The Chargers have failed to forge a fanbase in a city where many residents cheer for the Raiders and most of the others have already aligned themselves with the Rams. That could all change quickly if the Chargers start winning games, but they’re on pace to miss the postseason for the fourth consecutive year.
The Chargers are slated to move into Rams owner Stan Kroenke’s Inglewood stadium in 2020. If things don’t pick up in the interim, the league may want to reconsider their gameplan.
Saints Audition Gerald Hodges
The Saints worked out linebacker Gerald Hodges, according to a source who spoke with Mike Florio of PFT (on Twitter). There’s no word yet on how the audition went or whether a deal is imminent. 
The Bills signed Hodges this offseason after losing Zach Brown and Lerentee McCray, so he appeared to be in line for a starting job or, at the very least, significant playing time. Instead, he was a surprise cut on Sept. 3.
This appears to be Hodges’ first known audition since being let go by Buffalo. In his previous round of free agency, the Chiefs, Seahawks, Jets, Giants, Patriots, Jaguars, and Colts also showed interest in him.
In 2016, Hodges played on roughly half of the 49ers’ defensive snaps last year while grading out as the league’s No. 21 linebacker, per the numbers at Pro Football Focus. In those 15 games, the 26-year-old tallied 80 tackles, three sacks, and two interceptions. He also was on the field for 73 special teams snaps.
Colts Cut LB Sean Spence
Once again, the Colts are parting ways with Sean Spence. The linebacker has been released, according to Mike Florio of PFT. 
Spence joined the Colts as an unrestricted free agent in March but missed the initial cut down to 53. The 27-year-old rejoined the squad roughly two weeks later, but he’s back in the free agent pool today. He already cashed in on $750K in guarantees on the first deal, but the most recent pact was probably non-guaranteed, so the Colts are unlikely to be on the hook for anything after dropping him.
In 2016, Spence appeared in 15 games (six starts) for the Titans and set career highs with 77 tackles, four tackles for loss, three sacks, three passes defensed, and one forced fumble. He finished third on the team in tackles. Spence did not record a tackle in his three games with the Colts this year.
Titans To Sign QB Brandon Weeden
The Titans are planning to sign free agent quarterback Brandon Weeden, according to a league source who spoke with ESPN.com’s Field Yates (Twitter link). Weeden was one of four QBs to audition for Tennessee on Tuesday. 
Weeden was cut by Houston in early September just as he was set to enter the second season of a two-year, $4MM deal. The 6’4″ signal caller has not seen the field since 2015 when he appeared in four games for the Cowboys and two for the Texans. The 33-year-old (34 on Oct. 14) has a career 6-19 record.
There has been no official word from the team, but the signing presumably means that Marcus Mariota will not be able to play this weekend. Matt Cassel will likely get the start, unless the team’s confidence is so shaken in him that they would rather start Weeden with only a few days of preparation.
NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Elliott, Norman
The NFL says it expects a decision from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on Ezekiel Elliott’s appeal “soon,” ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. Of course, we’ve been here before, but that verbiage may mean that we’ll have a resolution on the Cowboys running back before the end of business on Tuesday.
If the CA5 ruling does not come down today, the league will have to decide how to handle Elliott’s status for Week 5. Earlier this year, the league allowed the running back to play in the season opener when arbitrator Harold Henderson could not reach a decision by the previous Tuesday. If the judge is similarly delayed, it remains to be seen whether the NFL will allow Elliott to go against the Packers on Sunday.
Here’s more from the NFC East:
- Redskins cornerback Josh Norman has a “significant” rib injury and will miss a “couple of weeks,” coach Jay Gruden told ESPN’s Lisa Salters (link via PFT). Norman left Monday night’s game holding his ribs with roughly two minutes to go in the first half. Testing on Tuesday will reveal the full extent of Norman’s injury. The team is concerned about internal injury, particularly with regard to his lungs (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com).
- The Cowboys miss Doug Free‘s experience and Ronald Leary‘s run blocking, Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News opines. Free retired this offseason while Leary left the team in free agency to sign with Denver.
Titans Show Interest In Four QBs
With Marcus Mariota on the mend, the Titans are looking into adding a quarterback. The team auditioned Brandon Weeden, Matt Barkley, Matt McGloin, and T.J. Yates on Tuesday, according to Mike Florio of PFT (on Twitter).
Mariota is day-to-day with a strained hamstring and his status is up in the air for Sunday against the Dolphins. Currently, the Titans have only Matt Cassel on the roster with Tyler Ferguson on the practice squad. If Mariota can’t go, Ferguson could get promoted to serve as Cassel’s backup. Alternatively, the club may prefer to have a QB with some in-game experience at the ready.
The Titans lost by a score of 57-14 to the Texans on Sunday. After Mariota exited the game, Cassel completed 4-of-10 passes and threw two interceptions. He had 21 passing yards in total.
The team’s decision to not include Colin Kaepernick in the audition will raise some eyebrows, particularly since Kaepernick offers similar mobility to Mariota.
Bills To Sign WR Philly Brown
The Bills are signing Corey Brown, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Brown will provide depth at wide receiver for Buffalo while Jordan Matthews recovers from thumb surgery. 
Brown first joined the Bills in March but was waived on Sept. 3. In the last month or so, he worked out with the Jets, Saints, and Pats, but did not sign with any of those clubs. Before his offseason stint in Buffalo, Brown spent the first three years of his career with the Panthers where he hauled in 79 catches, 1,019 yards, and seven touchdowns across 43 games (22 starts).
The Bills are 3-1 after beating the Falcons on Sunday. Next up is a road tilt against the Bengals.
The Lions also showed interest in Brown at the outset of free agency.
Latest On Browns WR Josh Gordon
Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon was released from rehab almost two weeks ago, but we won’t be seeing him on the field right away. Gordon has yet to apply for reinstatement, a source tells Mike Florio of PFT (Twitter link). 
Gordon was denied reinstatement this offseason, but the NFL told him that he could reapply in the fall. He ostensibly could get the ball rolling right now, but he may need some more time before opening himself up to scrutiny. The reinstatement process requires some steps to be taken on the player’s part – as Chargers center Max Tuerk has learned – and there may be extra hoops to jump through in Gordon’s case since he has been suspended multiple times by the league.
The talented wide receiver has not been on the field since the final five games of the 2014 season. He had 24 catches for 303 yards in the home stretch of that campaign. In 2013, he earned First-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors when he had 87 catches for 1,646 yards and nine scores.
It’s not clear if Browns coach Hue Jackson wants Gordon back on the team.