Minor NFL Transactions: 10/6/20
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted: RB Jonathan Ward
- Released: DB Curtis Riley
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on IR: WR KhaDarel Hodge
Green Bay Packers
- Waived: WR Reggie Begelton
New England Patriots
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Bill Murray; Murray was on Patriots’ practice squad
New York Giants
- Promoted: TE Eric Tomlinson
- Waived: S Sean Chandler
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted: DE Alex Barrett
- Waived: TE Charlie Taumoepeau
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: WR Cyril Grayson
Washington Football Team
- Released from IR: WR Jordan Veasy
Trey Lance Declares For 2021 Draft
Trey Lance will join Trevor Lawrence as part of the 2021 draft pool. A North Dakota State quarterback prospect who has been consistently mocked as a first-round pick, Lance will opt to leave the Division I-FCS school early to prepare for the draft, Pete Thamel of Yahoo.com reports.
Despite Lance having only played one season of college football, he is draft-eligible after redshirting in 2018. North Dakota State tabled its football season to 2021 but played a one-off game against Central Arkansas last weekend. That will double as the sophomore passer’s college finale.
In 16 games for the Bison last season, Lance dominated by throwing 28 touchdown passes (with no interceptions) and rushing for a Bison-best 1,100 yards. He has joined Lawrence and Ohio State’s Justin Fields, who has yet to declare, as top quarterback prospects for 2021. Lawrence is playing as a junior but announced he will leave Clemson after this season.
The 6-foot-4 Lance led North Dakota State, an FCS-level dynasty, to a 16-0 season and a national championship. The Bison have seen two recent passers go on to the NFL, with Carson Wentz‘s stock rising swiftly in 2016 en route to being the No. 2 overall pick. Lance’s predecessor, Easton Stick, is currently backing up Justin Herbert with the Chargers.
Still, it represents a major development that a non-Division I-FBS player is declaring after one season of action. The Division I-FCS championship game is scheduled for May 15, which would be a non-tenable setup for Lance since it falls after the draft. While Lawrence profiles as the player who will be connected to the team with 2020’s worst record, Fields and Lance figure to be in the mix soon after.
Jaguars Work Out DE Jabaal Sheard
Jabaal Sheard continued his search for a new team Tuesday. The veteran edge defender worked out for the Jaguars, marking his second meeting with a team since the season started.
The Lions met with Sheard two weeks ago but did not sign him. The former Browns, Patriots and Colts contributor has been a starter for most of his career.
Sheard has 103 starts’ worth of experience in nine NFL seasons. This includes a three-season stay as a Colts defensive end starter. He registered 15.5 sacks and 36 quarterback hits with Indianapolis. The Colts let him walk in free agency this year, and little buzz has emerged regarding the 31-year-old defender in the months since. Sheard graded as one of the better run defenders among edge players, per Pro Football Focus, during his first two seasons with the Colts.
Jacksonville lost some defensive linemen before the season and is transitioning from the acclaimed “Sacksonville” pass-rushing group it essentially disbanded this offseason. The Jaguars do have recent first-round picks Josh Allen and K’Lavon Chaisson entrenched as their top edge rushers, however. Through four games, the Jags have just four sacks.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/6/20
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad updates:
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on practice squad IR: RB Reggie Bonnafon
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: S Doug Middleton
Seattle Seahawks
- Released: DL Demarcus Christmas
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Placed on practice squad suspended list: RB Kenjon Barner (four-game PED ban)
Packers TE Josiah Deguara Tears ACL
Packers rookie tight end Josiah Deguara will miss the rest of the season because of an ACL tear he suffered Monday night, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com tweets.
Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur called the injury “a pretty bad one,” but has not confirmed it is season-ending. However, it does appear the third-round draft choice will not return until 2021.
Deguara returned to action Monday after dealing with ankle and shin ailments. The Cincinnati product missed the previous two Packers games. Though also spending time as a fullback, Deguara was the top pass catcher the Packers chose in a draft scrutinized due to the team’s lack of a wide receiver investment. Deguara posted 972 receiving yards and 12 touchdown receptions between his junior and senior seasons with the Bearcats.
As for the Packers’ tight end picture, they still have some decent depth at the position. They have 15th-year veteran Marcedes Lewis, 2019 third-rounder Jace Sternberger and 2020 touchdown machine Robert Tonyan on their active roster going into Week 5.
Raiders Place DT Maurice Hurst On Reserve/COVID-19 List
The Raiders may be without one of their rotational defensive linemen Sunday against the Chiefs. They placed Maurice Hurst on their reserve/COVID-19 list Tuesday, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Players do not have to test positive for the coronavirus to land on this list; they only need to have come in contact with someone who has. But considering the NFL’s issues with COVID-19 over the past several days, this bears monitoring.
Hurst was not among the Raiders fined for being photographed without masks at Darren Waller‘s fundraiser, but the third-year defensive lineman did play 35 snaps against the Bills. Hurst was not at the fundraiser, according to The Athletic’s Tashan Reed (on Twitter). But the prospect of Hurst playing last week while carrying the virus would present a major issue, though it is not yet known if he has tested positive.
Hurst, 25, also dropped in the draft due to a heart condition. That has not, however, impeded him as a pro. The former fifth-round pick has missed just three games since being drafted. A second-generation NFLer, Hurst has played 42% of Las Vegas’ defensive snaps this season. At present, he is the only player on the Raiders’ COVID list.
Cowboys Release DB Brandon Carr
Brandon Carr‘s second act with the Cowboys will end early in the season. The team released the 13th-year veteran defensive back Tuesday.
The Cowboys brought Carr back just before the season, stashing him on their practice squad before promoting him ahead of Week 1. Carr, however, did not see much playing time. Dressing for three games, the iron-man defender played just 21 defensive snaps — despite Dallas being shorthanded in its secondary.
The Ravens did not pick up Carr’s 2020 option, sending him to free agency. The past three 2020 games marked the first time the former 2008 draftee did not start an NFL game, ending a 192-game start streak. Said streak included 80 games with the Cowboys, who signed Carr to a five-year deal in 2012 and watched him play out the contract before signing with the Ravens in 2017.
Additionally, the Cowboys waived tackle Alex Light, signed tackle Greg Senat off the Browns’ practice squad and added tackle William Sweet to their taxi squad.
Cowboys Not Considering Defensive Coordinator Change
Mike Nolan‘s return to the defensive coordinator ranks has not gone well. Dallas’ defense has allowed the NFL’s most points and third-most yards — a steep statistical drop from where it was under Rod Marinelli.
Ahead of Week 5, the Cowboys are not considering a quick hook for Nolan. Mike McCarthy expressed confidence in the veteran defensive coordinator, while Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones said during a radio interview on Dallas’ 105.3 The Fan “now’s not the time to think about” a change here (Twitter links via The Athletic’s Jon Machota).
After allowing Russell Wilson to throw five touchdown passes in an outing that would have featured six TD tosses had D.K. Metcalf not fumbled at the 1-yard line, the Cowboys permitted a franchise-most 307 rushing yards to a Browns team that lost Nick Chubb early in Week 4. While DVOA slots Dallas’ defense 24th — down from 17th at the end of last season — the unit has been the obvious culprit for the team’s 1-3 start. The Cowboys are down some key defenders, however, with Leighton Vander Esch, Sean Lee, Chidobe Awuzie and Anthony Brown on IR.
Upon hiring McCarthy, the Cowboys brought in Nolan and allowed Marinelli to leave for Jon Gruden‘s staff in Las Vegas. This marks Nolan’s first DC gig since 2014, when he closed a three-year stay leading the Falcons’ defense. The 61-year-old assistant has now been either a head coach (with the 49ers) or defensive coordinator with nine franchises, beginning that run in 1993. Nolan, 61, spent the past three seasons coaching the Saints’ linebackers.
Seahawks Meet With Mychal Kendricks
Mychal Kendricks is visiting with the Seahawks today, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (Twitter link). Kendricks, who spent the last two years with the Seahawks, remains a free agent after passing on at least one offer over the summer. 
Kendricks, 29, started in 14 games last year after serving an eight-game suspension for his insider trading matter. Playing alongside Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright on passing downs in the base formation, the veteran logged 71 tackles, three sacks, one interception, and a forced fumble. Then, he finished the year on IR after a late-season ACL tear.
The Seahawks went on to draft Jordyn Brooks in Round 1 and let Kendricks walk in free agency, but he could be on the verge of rejoining the club here in October. The Raiders discussed a deal with Kendricks in October, but the two sides couldn’t come to terms.
If everything’s a go, Kendricks could be active for Sunday night against the Vikings. The Seahawks, who have beat the Vikings six straight times, will look to keep their perfect record going.
49ers To Release Mohamed Sanu
The 49ers will release wide receiver Mohamed Sanu, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. With Deebo Samuel and Richie James on the mend, the Niners will shift their focus to their younger targets. Meanwhile, Sanu is now available for teams in need of an experienced receiver. 
Sanu joined the Niners just a few weeks ago on a deal worth just over the veteran’s minimum. The former Bengals, Falcons, and Patriots wideout reunited with former Falcons coach Kyle Shanahan, but the party didn’t last long. Sanu suited up for three games, but he leaves SF with just one catch for nine yards from their Week 2 romp over the Giants.
The 31-year-old didn’t impress in his eight regular season games (six starts) with the Patriots last year, either. He finished out with 26 grabs (on 47 targets) for 207 yards and one score. Then, he was invisible during New England’s playoff loss to the Titans as he caught just one pass for eleven yards. Although he’s accomplished and experienced, the Niners are far more fixated on the acrobatics of rookie Brandon Aiyuk and the rest of the bunch.
In 2018, Sanu turned in perhaps the best performance of his career, catching 66 passes for 838 yards and four TDs with the Falcons. He might not be able to reprise that performance, but he will try to get a bit closer to that.