Vikings To Activate Teddy Bridgewater
Teddy Bridgewater will be activated to the Vikings’ 53-man roster, Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com tweets. Meanwhile, the team is discussing whether Sam Bradford will be placed on injured reserve. 
Moving Bradford to IR could be the Vikings best option given the way that Case Keenum has played in his absence. The Vikings also know that they will probably lose preseason standout Kyle Sloter if they try to sneak him through waivers and on to the practice squad.
Keenum is expected to remain the starter for the time being with Bridgewater as a backup. If Keenum falters against the Redskins on Sunday, the Vikings could have another QB dilemma on their hands.
In 2016, Bradford set the NFL record for completion percentage in a season at 71.6%. This year, however, he has been dealing with serious knee troubles and has appeared in only two games. Bradford opened up the season by completing 27 of 32 passes against the Saints for three touchdowns and no interceptions, but he did not return to action until Week 5 against the Bears. After getting re-injured midway through that game, we have not seen Bradford take the field since.
Giants Reinstate Janoris Jenkins
The Giants announced that they have reinstated cornerback Janoris Jenkins. It was just one week ago that Jenkins was handed an “indefinite” suspension by head coach Ben McAdoo. 
Jenkins was banned from the team when he missed last Monday’s meeting. Initially, the Giants said that Jenkins’ absence was excused. Later, McAdoo told reporters that wasn’t the case.
Jenkins’ act-out marked the second time a Giants star has publicly disrespected McAdoo. Just weeks ago, fellow starting corner Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie butted heads with the coach. He too was handed an “indefinite” suspension for conduct detrimental to the team. And, he too was reinstated after just one week. We know that DRC had some issues with McAdoo specifically, but it’s not immediately clear why Jenkins missed last Monday’s practice.
The Giants are 1-7 after a 51-17 drumming at the hands of the Rams. In the midst of a disastrous season, it’s fair to wonder whether McAdoo will be brought back for another.
In related moves, the Giants signed linebacker Deontae Skinner off the Raiders’ practice squad and waived defensive end Jordan Williams and defensive back Tim Scott. Linebacker Nigel Harris (ribs) was placed on injured reserve.
Eagles Give Raise To D.J. Killings
The Eagles gave practice squad cornerback D.J. Killings a pay raise, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). He’ll now earn a weekly rate that is equivalent to the league minimum paycheck. 
Bumping Killings up to a $27,353/week rate is probably an indication that another team tried to sign him away. It’s not a huge surprise given that he was one of the most talked about undrafted free agents in the 2017 class.
Killings bounced back from an injury-riddled 2015 season to start in all 13 games for UCF last season and had 42 tackles, three tackles for a loss, one sack, and 11 pass break-ups. After he ran a 4.48 40-yard-dash and posted a 37.5 inch vertical jump at his Pro Day, teams started showing real interest. Although he was passed on 250+ times in the draft, several teams tried to sign him in the spring.
Killings landed with the Patriots on a UDFA deal in May that gave him a higher-than-usual $20K guarantee. He did not make New England’s Week 1 roster, but the Eagles stashed him on the p-squad in October. It seems that Killings is a popular target yet again and the Eagles may have to elevate him to the main roster if they want to keep him for the full year.
The Eagles currently have five cornerbacks on the 53-man roster in Jalen Mills, Patrick Robinson, Rasul Douglas, Dexter McDougle, and Ronald Darby. Darby is dealing with an ankle injury, but it is believed that he will be able to return to action after Philly’s bye to face the Cowboys in Week 11.
Extra Points: Patriots, Maxwell, Peterson
Following months of speculation, the Patriots finally pulled the trigger on a Jimmy Garoppolo trade during last week’s deadline. Today, coach Bill Belichick provided some clarity on the transaction, noting that the team did not shop around the quarterback during this past offseason.
“There was no market to trade Jimmy in April, on our end,” Belichick said during an appearance on WEEI (via Doug Kyed of NESN.com). “I don’t really care what the offer was. I don’t even know what the offers were, or would have been. There was no interest on our end in making that deal. It didn’t really matter what the offer was, or would the offer would have been. I don’t really know what they were because we never entertained it.
“As I said, we had the best depth at that position probably of any team in the league, or at least we felt like we did. Maybe other teams felt different, I don’t know. We had great depth at that position. It was a tremendous situation to have two quarterbacks of the caliber we’ve had the past call it two and a half years from when Jimmy was ready. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t sustainable.”
There were whispers that the Browns had pursued Garoppolo during the offseason, but it sounds like the Patriots weren’t even willing to pick up the phone.
Let’s take a look at some other notes from around the NFL…
- Brian Hoyer has a number of suitors after he was let go by the 49ers, but the quarterback told Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com that signing with the Patriots was a no-brainer. “I think for me, that was kind of the excitement of coming back home, and to be able to play behind Tom [Brady] and be in this organization,” Hoyer said. “And I was OK with. I think for me, having played a lot, you’re always ready to play, but it wasn’t going to work out for me to be a starter there in San Francisco the rest of this year, anyways, and probably not for next year. So I think for me, when I had an opportunity to come here and be the backup to Tom and in this organization, it was kind of a no-brainer.”
- After working out with the Falcons, cornerback Byron Maxwell will not be signing a contract this evening, reports ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure. Of course, the writer also notes that the defensive back hasn’t been ruled out, so a transaction could still be a possibility.
- Even after he missed three field goal attempts on Sunday against Washington, the Seahawks say they will not move on from kicker Blair Walsh. “No, we will not,” coach Pete Carroll told reporters (via Brady Henderson of ESPN.com). “He’s 12-for-13 going into the game, guys. That was a hard day for whatever reason. We didn’t kick the ball off very well, either. It was just a hard day to kick the ball for us.” Walsh’s misses proved to be costly as Seattle lost by three points.
- After a slow start to the season, Cardinals running back Adrian Peterson may actually reach some of his monetary incentives. As former agent Joel Corry notes on Twitter, the veteran’s contract calls for an extra $150K if he reaches 750 rushing yards. After compiling only 81 rushing yards in four games with the Saints, the veteran has collected 314 in three games with the Cardinals, meaning he only needs another 355 rushing yards in eight more games.
- The number of agents certified by the NFL Players Association has risen 4%, from 795 to 830, Liz Mullen of SBJ writes. That figure includes 119 new agents who became certified this summer. Meanwhile, 84 agents either lost or dropped their certification. One can lose certification by not negotiating an NFL deal within a three-year period, missing the yearly union seminar, or not paying dues.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Denzel Perryman Expected To Return This Week
Denzel Perryman could make his 2017 debut this weekend. Chargers coach Anthony Lynn told reporters today that the linebacker is expected to play this Sunday against the Jaguars (via team’s Twitter). Perryman has been on the injured reserve since September as he recovered from ankle surgery, although 
he did start practicing with the team several weeks ago.
The linebacker will surely be a welcome addition to the Chargers defense, as the former second-rounder has been one of the organization’s most productive players over the past two years. In 2016, Perryman finished with 72 tackles, a pair of sacks, and two passes defended in 12 games (11 starts), earning him a spot among the top-50 linebackers according to Pro Football Focus. The Miami product has dealt with injuries throughout his brief playing career, including pectoral, shoulder, hamstring, and knee ailments.
Korey Toomer has filled in admirably during his teammate’s absence, collecting 31 tackles in seven games (four starts). Perryman will rejoin a linebacker corps that also includes Hayes Pullard, Jatavis Brown, Kyle Emanuel, James Onwualu, Josh Keyes, and Nick Dzubnar.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/6/17
Today’s practice squad updates:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: OT Storm Norton
- Released: OT Javarius Leamon
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: RB Marcus Murphy
- Released: OG Will Pericak
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: CB Denzel Rice
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: OL Andrew Lauderdale
49ers WR Trent Taylor Suffers Broken Rib
49ers rookie wideout Trent Taylor may not finish his first NFL season. Head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed earlier today that the receiver broke a rib on a non-contact play, although the team is hoping he’ll see the field again this year (via Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee on Twitter). Meanwhile, the team is preparing to place three players on the injured reserve (via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle on Twitter), including safety Jaquiski Tartt, tight end Cole Hikutini and offensive tackle Garry Gilliam. We heard yesterday that Tartt was likely done for the season.
Taylor, who was selected in the fifth round of this past year’s draft, has gradually climbed the 49ers depth chart throughout the season. The rookie had appeared in all nine games, hauling in 24 receptions for 204 yards and one touchdown. The Louisiana Tech product had also returned 17 punts for 167 yards. The team signed wideout Louis Murphy earlier today for some reinforcement at the position, as they were previously rostering only four healthy wideouts in Marquise Goodwin, Aldrick Robinson, Kendrick Bourne, and Victor Bolden.
While Hikutini and Gilliam are headed to the IR, there is some optimism, as Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets that the players injured their MCLs instead of their ACLs. Gilliam joined the 49ers this past summer following three seasons with the Seahawks, and he proceeded to appear in eight games (one start) for his new team. The team could theoretically be in the hunt for another tackle, as their reserve options (which include Zane Beadles, Erik Magnuson, and Darrell Williams Jr.) mostly have experience at offensive guard. Hikutini, an undrafted rookie out of Louisville, saw the field for four games this season, hauling in a pair of passes for 15 yards. The team will presumably look for some depth behind George Kittle and Garrett Celek.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/6/17
Today’s minor moves:
Dallas Cowboys
- Placed on injured reserve: DT Brian Price
Indianapolis Colts
- Claimed off waivers: CB D.J. White
Los Angeles Rams
- Released from IR: WR Bradley Marquez
New Orleans Saints
- Claimed off waivers: OT Bryce Harris
- Released: DT John Hughes
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: TE Logan Paulsen
Broncos Place Jake Butt, Chad Kelly On IR
A pair of Broncos rookies are headed to the injured reserve. The team announced today that they’ve placed tight end Jake Butt and quarterback Chad Kelly on the IR. The two players were previously on the NFI list, and after evaluating their progress, the coaching staff decided that the duo would be shut down for the season.
“They’re both going to go down,” said head coach Vance Joseph. “Chad Kelly, obviously, he came back and practiced last week, and obviously numbers-wise, it doesn’t make sense for our football team. We were hoping that Jake could come back and help us at this point, but he’s not ready yet. So we’re going to put both of those guys down.”
Butt, who was selected in the fifth round of this past year’s draft, has spent the majority of the campaign recovering from his second ACL surgery. The tight end had been practicing for the past few weeks, but he continued to feel soreness in the knee. After having earned a pair of first-team All-American nods, it was expected that Butt could eventually work his way into a major role. Instead, the Broncos will have to continue to rely on A.J. Derby, Virgil Green, and Jeff Heuerman at tight end.
“There’s definitely frustration,” Butt told Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post last week. “For me, I’ve been a quick healer my whole life and everything I’ve come back (from), I’ve been able to come back with no problems. But it’s also teaching me some things. Patience is a big thing.”
There had been less optimism that Kelly would be activated from the NFI. The seventh-round pick was recovering from both wrist and and knee surgeries, and while the trio of Brock Osweiler, Trevor Siemian, and Paxton Lynch have been uninspiring, there wasn’t room on the roster for a rookie quarterback. Kelly was limited to nine games during his senior season at Ole Miss, but he still managed to complete 62.5-percent of his passes for 2,758 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.
Falcons Work Out CB Byron Maxwell
Byron Maxwell worked out for the Falcons on Monday, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). This marks the cornerback’s first known workout since being released by the Dolphins. 
Maxwell has some ties to the staff in Atlanta thanks to his time spent with head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Marquand Manuel in Seattle. Maxwell was a disappointment with the Eagles and Dolphins, but he played some quality football with the Seahawks.
If signed, Maxwell would offer some veteran support behind corners Desmond Trufant, Robert Alford, and Brian Poole. Atlanta is currently 10th in passing yards allowed per game with 207.2.
Now 4-4 after Sunday’s loss to the Panthers, the Falcons will look to crack .500 with a win over the Cowboys on Sunday. Nothing is set in stone, but it seems likely that Ezekiel Elliott will be in uniform for Dallas.