Chargers, Cardinals Tried To Claim Jonah Williams
New Vikings defensive end Jonah Williams was pretty popular on the waiver wire. After he was cut by the Rams, the Chargers and Cardinals also submitted claims on him. (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). 
[RELATED: Rams Have Discussed Extension With Miller’s Camp]
The Vikings won out, thanks to their 3-4 record. As a refresher, the league’s waiver priority goes by inverted current season record at this stage of the league year, rather than previous year’s record. Therefore, the Chargers (4-3) and Cardinals (7-1) were further down the list.
Williams, 26, saw time in all eight of the Rams’ games before he was cut loose. If not for the arrival of Von Miller, the Rams likely would have kept him for the year. Miller marks a significant upgrade for the Rams’ front seven and they’re already discussing his future beyond 2021.
The Vikings could still use some DL support, now that Danielle Hunter has been ruled out for the year with a torn pectoral muscle. The Cardinals — who are without J.J. Watt — will also keep an eye out for available linemen.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/3/21
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR A.J. Green, TE Demetrius Harris
Dallas Cowboys
- Activated from IR: TE Sean McKeon
Houston Texans
- Promoted: LB Hardy Nickerson
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: WR JJ Koski, LB Christian Rozeboom
- Designated for Return: DB Darious Williams
Minnesota Vikings
- Claimed off waivers (from Rams): DE Jonah Williams
New York Giants
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Saquon Barkley, S Xavier McKinney
San Francisco 49ers
- Designated for return: K Robbie Gould, TE George Kittle
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/2/21
We’ll keep track of today’s taxi squad moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: DL Matt Dickerson, LB Tahir Whitehead
- Released: OL Koda Martin, TE Ross Travis
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: WR Marvin Hall
Buffalo Bills
- Placed on practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list: QB Jake Fromm, WR Tanner Gentry
- Signed: OL Jacob Capra, WR Austin Proehl
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: QB Josh Love
- Released: WR Devin Smith
Chicago Bears
- Signed: DL LaCale London
- Released: G Dareuan Parker
Denver Broncos
- Released: CB Rojesterman Farris
Green Bay Packers
- Placed on practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list: QB Kurt Benkert
- Signed: DL Abdullah Anderson
- Released: LB Aaron Adeoye
Los Angeles Chargers
- Released: LB Paddy Fisher
New York Jets
- Signed: S Natrell Jamerson
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: K Josh Lambo, DT Khalil Davis
- Released: DL Chris Slayton
Washington Football Team
- Signed: G Zack Bailey, RB Wendell Smallwood
- Released: RB Jonathan Williams
Injury Notes: Murray, Ravens, WFT, Rams
Ravens linebacker Malik Harrison landed on the reserve/non-football Injury list today after being shot in the leg by a stray bullet, per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley.
The 23-year-old was shot outside of a Cleveland nightclub on Sunday night. According to the report, Harrison was struck by a stray bullet; four men were arrested following the shooting, and it sounds like Harrison was an innocent bystander. The linebacker suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was treated at a Cleveland hospital. The Ravens were on their bye week, and Harrison was scheduled to return to Baltimore today.
“I don’t think it’s severe at all,” said coach John Harbaugh. “I’m optimistic that it’s going to be OK … Happy that he’s OK and very grateful that he’s OK and not hurt worse. Anything can happen. It’s just a tough situation.”
Harrison was placed on NFI, meaning he’ll have to sit out three games before he can return to practice.
More injury notes from around the NFL:
- Kyler Murray was seen limping after tossing a game-deciding interception late during the Cardinals loss to the Packers. Fortunately, it doesn’t sound like the quarterback suffered a serious injury. Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer reported that Murray suffered a sprained ankle that could take one to three weeks to get better (h/t to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com). However, if swelling goes down, the QB could be good to go for Sunday’s game against the 49ers.
- Washington Football Team starting center Chase Roullier suffered a fractured left fibula during yesterday’s loss to the Broncos, reports Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post (via Twitter). Roullier is set to get a second opinion on Tuesday, but the initial diagnosis could be hinting at a season-ending injury. The 2017 sixth-round pick has spent his entire career with Washington, and he’s started all 54 of his appearances over the past three-plus seasons.
- Rams rookie receiver Tutu Atwell will miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury, head coach Sean McVay told reporters (via ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry on Twitter). The second-round pick has seen time in seven games this season, with the majority of his snaps coming on special teams. He’s returned 10 punts for 54 yards and five kicks for 87 yards.
- The Buccaneers are getting healthier. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets that wideout Antonio Brown will likely return after the team’s bye. The veteran has missed the past two games while dealing with foot and heel injuries. Meanwhile, cornerbacks Carlton Davis and Sean Murphy-Bunting are also recovering well from their respect injuries and could be back on the field for Week 10.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/1/21
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: RB Tavien Feaster, OL Marcus Henry
- Released: CB Lavert Hill
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: TE Eric Tomlinson
- Placed on IR: OT Andre Smith
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: QB Brett Hundley
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: DL Jeremiah Ledbetter
- Released: WR Josh Imatorbhebhe
Las Vegas Raiders
- Released: CB Tony Brown
Washington Football Team
- Released: DT T.Y. McGill
Latest On Cardinals’ J.J. Watt
Cardinals pass rusher J.J. Watt may need season-ending shoulder surgery, but nothing has been decided just yet, according to Cardinals GM Steve Keim (via the team website). 
“I know surgery is an option, but at the same time I think there are some things that are possibly put in place where we want to play this thing out with a little bit more time and see how he responds,” Keim said. “To me, if there is anybody who can bounce back and can do it, it’s J.J. Watt.”
It’s safe to say that Watt won’t be ready for the Cardinals’ Nov. 7 game against the 49ers, but there’s a chance that he could return for the playoff stretch. Keim also raises a fair point about Watt and his resilience — the veteran managed to finish out the Cards’ Week 7 win over the Texans and beat his recovery timetable in 2019 after suffering a torn pec.
Through seven games this year, Watt has tallied 16 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, five tackles for loss, and six QB hits. The Cardinals — sans the future Hall of Famer — remain tied with the Packers the NFC lead.
Packers’ Kylin Hill Done For Year
Packers rookie running back Kylin Hill suffered a season-ending knee injury on Thursday night (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). Hill will be placed on injured reserve, opening up a spot on the 53-man roster. 
Hill suffered the injury on a third quarter kick return, when he was tackled by Cardinals running back Jonathan Ward. Both players had to be carted off of the field following the violent collision, with Ward being evaluated for a concussion.
Hill, a seventh-round rookie, has served as the Packers’ No. 3 RB behind Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon. The bulk of his work has come on special teams, with 26 snaps on offense vs. 76 ST plays. He’ll finish his season with 10 carries for 24 yards, one reception for five yards, and ten kickoff returns for 199 yards.
The Packers could use Malik Taylor as their KR going forward, but they’ll need to add a new RB. Practice squader Patrick Taylor would be next in line, but they could also audition free agents between now and their Nov. 7 game against the Chiefs.
The Packers advanced to 7-1 after beating the league’s last undefeated team. Now the owners of the NFL’s longest active winning streak, they hold a comfortable divisional lead over the 3-3 Vikings.
This Date In Transactions History: Dolphins Trade Kenyan Drake To Cardinals
The Dolphins were looking to clear their roster in 2019, and that led to one of the more notable trades that took place around that season’s deadline. On October 28, 2019, the Dolphins traded running back Kenyan Drake to the Cardinals for a conditional sixth-round pick.
Drake had spent his first three-plus seasons in Miami, including a 2018 campaign where he collected 1,012 yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns in a part-time role. However, the 2019 iteration of the Dolphins had no hopes of contending, and the organization traded off pieces as they looked towards 2020 and beyond. So, on this date two years ago, they sent their starting running back to Arizona.
The Cardinals didn’t give up a whole lot to acquire Drake, and they needed some reinforcement at the position with both David Johnson and Chase Edmonds struggling with injuries. Drake ended up having a solid eight-game stint for the organization, collecting 814 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns. Still, the move didn’t do much to help the team’s record, as Arizona finished at 5-10-1.
The organization ended up placing the transitional tag on their acquisition following the 2019 season, and Drake eventually signed a one-year, $8.48MM tender. During his lone full season in Arizona, the running back finished with a career-high 10 touchdowns to go along with 1,092 yards from scrimmage. Drake moved on to the Raiders prior to the 2021 season (via a two-year, $14.5MM deal), and the Cardinals pivoted to James Conner in a rushing attack that also includes Edmonds and quarterback Kyler Murray.
While the Dolphins did everything in their power to clear their 2019 roster of any talent, the team still only finished with the fifth-worst record in the NFL. As a result, the team missed out on LSU superstar Joe Burrow and had to settle for Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa. Further, the front office made a curious move with the draft pick they acquired from Arizona. That conditional sixth-rounder ended up improving to a fifth-round pick, and the Dolphins proceeded to…trade the pick for running back Matt Breida, who’s only a year younger than Drake.
Each team had different intentions when making the selection, but neither team ended up with their desired outcome. Hindsight is always 20/20, but both teams may have been better off avoiding this trade altogether (although it’s tough to be overly critical of the Cardinals for ditching a late-rounder or the Dolphins for essentially swapping Drake for Breida).
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/28/21
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted: OL Danny Isidora, OL Zack Johnson, DL Josh Mauro, LB Joe Walker
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on IR: DT Daviyon Nixon
Chicago Bears
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Caleb Johnson
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: OL Alex Taylor
Detroit Lions
- Waived: DL Eric Banks
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from IR: TE Dominique Dafney
- Promoted: OL Ben Braden
Minnesota Vikings
- Placed on IR: TE Ben Ellefson
Cardinals DE J.J. Watt Likely To Undergo Season-Ending Surgery
THURSDAY: Hopes Watt could somehow return late in a potential Cardinals playoff run now sound unrealistic. Watt suffered the following injuries in the second half of the Cardinals’ win over the Texans: a torn labrum, torn bicep, torn rotator cuff and a dislocated shoulder, Rapoport tweets. While still not ruling Watt out for a possible Cardinals playoff run, Rapoport adds the 11th-year vet will undergo surgery next week (video link).
Watt somehow finished the Cards’ Week 7 win but will likely be out of the picture for the unbeaten team the rest of the way. Although Watt beat his timetable to recover from a torn pec in 2019, returning for the Texans’ two playoff games that season, this latest run of injury misfortune figures to sideline the future Hall of Famer well into the offseason.
WEDNESDAY: It sounds like J.J. Watt‘s shoulder injury will likely cost him the rest of the season. The Cardinals pass rusher is likely to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).
Watt injured his shoulder during Sunday’s win over the Texans, but there was hope that the veteran would only miss weeks, not months. Instead, Watt’s upcoming surgery will likely sideline him for the rest of the 2021 campaign. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter), the recovery time is expected to take at least three months, which would bring us to late in the postseason. That slightly leaves the door open for a Watt return (especially considering his past ability to recover quickly), but no one should be hanging their hat on that scenario. Per Schefter, the surgery has yet to be scheduled.
Watt’s stint with the Texans ended this offseason, and he proceeded to ink a two-year, $28MM deal with the Cardinals. So far, that investment has been worth it for the team, as Watt has played a major role in guiding Arizona to a 7-0 record and a top-five defense. Through seven games, the 32-year-old has collected 16 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, five tackles for loss, and six QB hits. Despite his injury, he managed to finish Sunday’s win, but he was limited to a season-low 30 snaps on defense.
Injuries have consistently been an issue for the all-time great. Injuries in 2016 and ’17 interrupted Watt’s stratospheric pace, and although the three-time Defensive Player of the Year returned to an All-Pro level in 2018, the former Texans superstar missed a chunk of the 2019 season as well. Since 2016, Watt has missed a total of 32 regular season games, and we’ll be able to pencil in another 10 missed games for 2021.
While there really isn’t a silver lining, at least the Cardinals can rest a bit easier knowing they’ll be getting some reinforcement on their defensive line this week. Arizona will have Chandler Jones on the field after he spent the past two weeks on their reserve/COVID-19 list.