Raiders To Host LB Mychal Kendricks
The Raiders are circling back to Mychal Kendricks. After discussing a deal with the veteran linebacker this summer, the team will bring him in for a visit, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
This follows the Seahawks’ meeting with their former starter, which took place earlier this week. Kendricks has been a free agent since March, being unattached while rehabbing an ACL tear. Medically cleared in July, Kendricks receiving renewed interest from teams points to the linebacker being at or close to 100%.
Kendricks spent the past two seasons with the Seahawks and played extensively alongside Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright, with the team using its base defense frequently. Kendricks recovered from an injury that ended his 2018 season, starting 14 games last season. The ACL tear in Week 17 shut him down again, however.
The former six-year Eagles starter has 91 career starts’ worth of experience. Despite being a career off-ball linebacker, Kendricks has 19 sacks. He served as a three-down player for Philadelphia’s 2017 Super Bowl championship team. While the insider trading charge ended Kendricks’ Cleveland stay, sentencing has been delayed several times in that case. With no news on that front in months, it appears the 30-year-old defender will be free to play a ninth season if signed.
Kendricks would need to navigate the NFL’s increased COVID-19 protocols to sign with the Raiders; these new barriers may make it difficult for him to be available by Week 6. The Raiders already spent this offseason to bolster their linebacking corps, signing Cory Littleton and Nick Kwiatkoski to free agent deals.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/10/20
Here is the latest barrage of Saturday minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted: TE Evan Baylis, S Curtis Riley
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted: DB Tyler Hall, LB Edmond Robinson
Chicago Bears
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: T Badara Traore
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted: DT Kahlil McKenzie, CB Torry McTyer
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: DT Joey Ivie, DE Cameron Malveaux
Denver Broncos
- Promoted: T Jake Rodgers
- Placed on IR: RB LeVante Bellamy
Houston Texans
- Promoted: LB Nate Hall, S Jonathan Owens
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted: G Jake Eldrenkamp, WR Marcus Johnson
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Promoted: DL Caraun Reid, LB Quincy Williams, S Jarrod Wilson
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted: DE Datone Jones, DE Chris Smith
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: DT Eric Banks
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: DE Tyshun Render
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: DE Eddie Yarbrough
Philadelphia Eagles
- Activated from IR: CB Craig James, WR Quez Watkins
- Promoted: DB Grayland Arnold, TE Jason Croom, DB Elijah Riley
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Promoted: FB Trey Edmunds
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted: CB Brian Allen, CB Jamar Taylor, WR Kevin White
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: S Damarious Randall
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Greg Mabin
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: TE Temarrick Hemingway
Jets Release LB Alec Ogletree
Alec Ogletree‘s atypical stay with the Jets may be at an end. The Jets announced they have released the veteran linebacker, doing so to make room for Le’Veon Bell‘s return and practice squad promotions.
The Jets could stash Ogletree back on their practice squad, which is how he originally caught on with Gang Green despite his seven seasons of experience as a starter. Ogletree does not have to go through waivers, with the trade deadline not yet here, so the former first-round pick is back in free agency.
A two-year Giants starter and five-year Rams first-stringer before heading to New York, Ogletree played in two Jets games. He made one start, upon being promoted from the Jets’ taxi squad in Week 2. After not playing in Week 3, the 29-year-old defender saw action in a reserve capacity last week. Ogletree played 56% of Gang Green’s snaps in both Week 2 and Week 4.
While Bell is officially back on the Jets’ active roster, the team also promoted quarterback Mike White, offensive lineman Jimmy Murray and cornerback Lamar Jackson. They also waived wide receiver Josh Malone.
With Sam Darnold out against the Cardinals, the Jets are starting Joe Flacco. They also have James Morgan on their active roster; White will make four QBs on the team’s 55-man Sunday roster. A former Cowboys fifth-round pick in 2018, White has not dressed for a game.
Bucs Contacted Snacks After Vea Injury
Damon Harrison spent the offseason waiting for an opportunity to continue his career, and the Seahawks provided one by opening up a practice squad slot for him. That could turn into a promotion to Seattle’s active roster soon, but another team inquired about a 53-man spot this week.
The Buccaneers contacted Harrison about poaching him from the Seahawks’ practice squad this week, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com report (video link). However, Harrison declined the opportunity and will remain with the Seahawks.
Tampa Bay lost emerging standout Vita Vea during its Week 5 loss to Chicago on Thursday, but the Bucs may have to look in-house to replace their starting nose tackle. Were the Bucs to have officially offered a 53-man roster spot to Harrison, the Seahawks would have needed to promote him to their active roster to prevent such a move. The team has yet to do so but still has time to promote its recent acquisition ahead of their Sunday night game against the Vikings.
Snacks, 31, has operated as a nose tackle starter since his second season (2013). He has played that role for the Jets, Giants and Lions. The veteran will almost certainly be called upon to suit up for the Seahawks soon.
Cowboys Place C Joe Looney On IR, Activate CB Anthony Brown
The Cowboys will have one of their top cornerbacks in uniform Sunday against the Giants. They are activating slot corner Anthony Brown from IR.
Brown has missed the past three games, joining Chidobe Awuzie in that regard. Dallas, however, will be without its starting center for a while. Dealing with an MCL malady he suffered on the first play of the Cowboys’ Week 4 game against the Browns, Joe Looney is now on Dallas’ injured reserve list.
Dallas re-signed Brown this offseason, bringing back the fifth-year veteran after allowing Byron Jones to leave in free agency. Brown played all 73 of the Cowboys’ defensive snaps in Week 1, but a rib injury sidelined him for the team’s past three games.
The Cowboys made Brown part of their standout 2016 draft class, adding him in Round 6. He has played 57 games with the team since. No. 58 will come Sunday against the Giants, helping the NFL’s last-ranked scoring defense. Awuzie, however, remains on the Cowboys’ IR.
Looney must miss at least three games. While he is not expected to miss the rest of the season like starting tackles Tyron Smith (now on IR as well) and La’el Collins, this is an obvious setback for an injury-riddled Dallas offensive line. The Cowboys will turn to rookie Tyler Biadasz as their starting center Sunday.
The Cowboys also promoted linebacker Francis Bernard, center Marcus Henry and defensive back Steven Parker from their practice squad.
Titans To Activate T Isaiah Wilson From Reserve/COVID-19 List
While it is not a 100% certainty that Tuesday’s Titans-Bills game will take place, Tennessee’s 2020 first-round pick has a chance to make his season debut.
The Titans are activating Isaiah Wilson from their reserve/COVID-19 list, Mike Vrabel said Saturday. The rookie tackle has been on the COVID list for the past 34 days.
Wilson has not enjoyed a smooth ride since being selected 29th overall. The Titans placed the Georgia offensive lineman on their reserve/COVID list twice, and Wilson was arrested on a DUI charge in September. He also received a trespass citation after attending a Tennessee State party in August — something that fell under this year’s “conduct detrimental” umbrella.
Dennis Kelly has operated as the Titans’ starting right tackle in the team’s first three games, serving as a potential bridge between Jack Conklin and Wilson. A ninth-year veteran, Kelly will likely continue to work as a starter Tuesday — should the game be played. Wilson, however, could see action as he attempts to rebound from a bad offseason.
The Titans’ consecutive days of no positive coronavirus tests allowed them to return to their facility after more than a week, putting their Week 5 home game on track to commence.
Jets To Activate Le’Veon Bell From IR
SATURDAY: The Jets will have their starting running back available against the Cardinals. They will move Bell from IR to their active roster Saturday, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com notes.
WEDNESDAY: Le’Veon Bell has spent the required amount of time on IR to return to action, in this unique season, and the Jets have designated their starting running back to return.
While Bell is not yet on Gang Green’s 53-man roster, the team has three weeks from Wednesday to activate Bell. However, Bell returning to practice points to him being back on the Jets’ active roster by Sunday. He has not played since suffering a left hamstring pull in Week 1.
This will mark the latest chapter for Bell and the Jets — a partnership that has thus far not gone well. Bell and Adam Gase disagreed on the former All-Pro’s hamstring situation during training camp. This, of course, was on the heels of Bell’s worst season as a pro and reports of Gase not wanting Bell — at least, not at the $13.1MM-per-year price tag required — in the first place.
Gase now looms as a chopping-block candidate, while Bell is a near-certainty to be off the Jets’ roster before the start of the 2021 league year — at the latest. But the 28-year-old back is back at Jets practice and on track to return to game action. The Jets have primarily used Frank Gore in Bell’s stead. The 37-year-old back, however, has averaged just 3.2 yards per carry.
Chiefs Activate CB Bashaud Breeland
Bashaud Breeland should make his 2020 debut this weekend. The Chiefs have officially activated the cornerback off the reserve/suspended list. To make room on the roster, Kansas City placed rookie defensive end Mike Danna on injured reserve.
Breeland joined the Chiefs prior to last season, and he proceeded to appear in all 16 games (15 starts), compiling 48 tackles, eight passes defended, and two interceptions. The defensive back also started each of Kansas City’s three playoff games, including their Super Bowl win where he finished with an interception and a team-high seven tackles.
The 28-year-old inked a one-year, $3MM deal to stick with the Chiefs this offseason, but he was later suspended for the first four games of the 2020 campaign after violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Breeland should play an immediate role for Kansas City, although the young secondary hasn’t really struggled without him. The Chiefs rank third in the NFL in interceptions, and they’ve got contributions from the likes of Rashad Fenton and fourth-round rookie L’Jarius Sneed.
Danna, a fifth-round rookie out of Michigan, has appeared in all four games for Kansas City, and he played at least 43-percent of the team’s defensive snaps through the first three weeks of the season. Danna suffered a hamstring injury during the Chiefs’ win over the Patriots on Monday, forcing the rookie to miss at least the next three weeks.
Bears PS Player, Chiefs Coach Test Positive For COVID-19
An unidentified Bears practice squad player has tested positive for COVID-19, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Fortunately, Chicago does have some time on their side. After beating the Buccaneers on Thursday night, the Bears won’t play again until next Sunday at Carolina. Schefter notes that the team facilities have been closed since Thursday night.
Mark Maske of The Washington Post tweets that while contact tracing is ongoing throughout the Bears organization, there are “no further issues expected at this point in terms of effect on games.”
More notes below:
- In the same tweet, Schefter adds that a Chiefs strength and conditioning coach has tested positive. Kansas City hosted the Patriots on Monday night, and we later learned that New England cornerback Stephon Gilmore had tested positive for COVID-19. Fortunately, tests for Chiefs players have reportedly come back negative all week.
- We learned last night that the “presumptive positive” test result for a Jets player was proven to be a false positive. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network tweets that the organization was confident that “protocols have been followed.” Similarly, SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano tweets that the team did another full round of PCR testing among some players and staff “just to be safe.”
- The Patriots (along with the Titans) returned to their practice facility today, but New England was still without two key players. Neither Cam Newton nor Gilmore were on the practice field this morning, according to Schefter (via Twitter). As Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com detailed this morning, there’s a path to both Newton and Gilmore playing Monday against the Broncos, although it’s unlikely that at least the cornerback misses the contest. Both players are currently sitting on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Vikings Sign S George Iloka To Active Roster
George Iloka is back on the Vikings active roster. This time, he might actually stick around. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo tweets that Minnesota has signed the veteran safety to their 53-man roster.
The Vikings had elevated Iloka from the practice squad for each of their past two games. However, teams are only allowed to seamlessly elevate each practice squad player twice. So, this time around, the front office was required to sign Iloka to the 53-man roster.
After appearing in 16 games for Minnesota during the 2018 campaign, Iloka sat out the 2019 season. He re-joined the Vikings this past summer, and he’s proceeded to compile six tackles through two games. During last weekend’s win over the Texans, the 30-year-old filled in for Harrison Smith following the starter’s ejection, and Iloka proceeded to play 66-percent of his team’s defensive snaps.
“I think George did a good job of trying to come and be that Swiss Army knife,” safety Anthony Harris told Mark Craig of the Star Tribune earlier this week. “He’s working hard to pick up as much as he can and be as versatile as he can. And he was able to come in and make some plays for us and allow us to play as a unit good enough to come out with a win.”
Iloka spent the first six seasons of his career in Cincinnati. He’s appeared in 101 career games (79 starts), collecting 365 tackles and nine interceptions.