Minor NFL Transactions: 10/19/20
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed to 53 from practice squad: TE Evan Baylis
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: DL Margus Hunt
- Waived: DL Andrew Brown
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed to 53 from practice squad: DT Justin Hamilton
Houston Texans
- Claimed off waivers from Colts: DT Eli Ankou
New Orleans Saints
- Designated to return from IR: RB Ty Montgomery
Titans Activate Corey Davis From Reserve/COVID-19 List
We just heard the Titans aren’t going to be harshly punished for any protocol violations, and now the team is getting more good news on the COVID-19 front. Tennessee has activated receiver Corey Davis from the reserve/COVID-19 list, they announced Monday.
Taylor Lewan was as expected placed on injured reserve to free up the roster spot following his torn ACL. It’s a big boost for the Titans, as with Davis on the shelf the team was lacking pass-catchers beyond A.J. Brown. Especially so with tight end Jonnu Smith now dealing with a minor ankle injury. The fifth overall pick of the 2017 draft, Davis has never quite lived up to his draft status, but he’s still a solid receiver.
He took a big step back last year when he only had 601 yards, but it was looking like 2020 could be somewhat of a breakout for him early on. Through the first three games he had 15 catches for 206 yards and a touchdown before COVID forced him to miss the past two contests.
The Titans declined his fifth-year option back in May, making the rest of this season extremely important for his financial future as he’ll now be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. The outbreak in Tennessee was scary, but fortunately things are trending in the right direction and appear to be almost back to normal.
NFL Completes Investigation Into Titans, No Significant Discipline Coming
The NFL’s investigation into the Titans for potential COVID-19 protocol investigations has concluded, and it looks like Tennessee is mostly in the clear.
The league did find that there were some instances of failure to comply with mask protocols within the team facility, as well as “insufficient clear communication regarding workouts outside the facility,” Tom Pelissero of NFL Network tweets. That being said, there will not be any forfeits, loss of draft picks, or discipline for any individual associated with the team.
Instead, the forthcoming punishment for the relatively minor infractions laid out will be limited to fines for the team. Overall it seems like this was somewhat of a best-case scenario for the team. After the Titans had the first real outbreak of the season with dozens of positive tests, there were whispers about Roger Goodell potentially bringing the hammer down on the team to make an example out of them.
Plenty of doomsday scenarios were floated, but clearly the league office wasn’t able to find anything too damaging. The outbreak and ensuing chaos around the building obviously hasn’t effected their on-field play too much, as the Titans have won both their games since returning from their unplanned bye week.
We may never know what the internal deliberations were like for Goodell and co., but it’s possible they decided punishing a team for having a COVID outbreak would be a slippery slope that could end up encompassing too many teams. What ever the case, Mike Vrabel’s team dodged a bullet here, and things are trending upward in Tennessee.
David Njoku Wants To Be Traded Again
David Njoku has changed his mind once again. The Browns’ tight end originally requested to be traded back in July, only to rescind that request in August.
He has apparently now flipped back the other way, as a source told Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com that Njoku once again wants to be dealt. Kay Cabot writes that so far the Browns haven’t been inclined to trade him, but that could change if they get a good offer. The trade deadline is November 3rd, two weeks from tomorrow. The 29th overall pick of the 2017 draft, Njoku had three catches for 50 yards in Cleveland’s opener before going down with a knee injury.
He missed the next three games, but has been back for the last couple, only racking up two catches for 13 yards the last two weeks. The Browns like to use a lot of multiple tight end sets, but the offseason signing of Austin Hooper and drafting of Harrison Bryant in the fourth-round have made Njoku more expendable.
The Miami product has all the physical skills in the world, but he’s been unable to harness his athletic potential consistently. He looked to be on the verge of a breakout in 2018 when he started a full season and had 56 catches for 639 yards and four touchdowns, but a broken wrist limited him to just four games last year.
The new regime has no real ties to Njoku, and there’s been a clear rift for a while. They picked up his fifth-year option this past offseason, which is only guaranteed for injury.
Raiders Place CB Damon Arnette On Reserve/COVID-19 List
Hopefully this isn’t the start of something significant in Las Vegas. The Raiders have placed cornerback Damon Arnette on the reserve/COVID-19 list, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link).
The new rules dictate that a player doesn’t need to have tested positive to be placed on the list, so this doesn’t mean Arnette is COVID positive. He could also have come in close proximity to someone who tested positive, but we don’t know as of right now. The first-round rookie has already been on injured reserve since October 3rd with a thumb issue.
Arnette is expected to be sidelined at least a few more weeks with the thumb injury anyway, so this most likely won’t effect his return to the field. A couple of weeks ago Raiders defensive tackle Maurice Hurst was placed on the list as well.
Arnette, the 19th overall pick of April’s draft, had started all three games before going down. Here’s to hoping this is an isolated incident and not a sign of things to come within the Raiders’ building.
Eagles’ Miles Sanders Out 1-2 Weeks, Zach Ertz 3-4
Just when it looked like the Eagles might finally be getting some guys, like DeSean Jackson, back from injury, they lose a handful more. Running back Miles Sanders is expected to miss 1-2 weeks with his knee injury, while tight end Zach Ertz will miss 3-4 with a high ankle sprain, Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
The hits didn’t stop there, as Mortensen noted in a follow-up tweet that defensive lineman Malik Jackson and offensive tackle Jack Driscoll are both looking at potential two-week absences. The injuries couldn’t come at a worse time for Philly, as they’re now 1-4-1 on the year and preparing for a divisional game against the Giants on Thursday Night Football.
Sanders has been one of the few bright spots on the team this season, and he had 118 yards on only nine carries before going down against Baltimore. Ertz’s injury is brutal since fellow tight end Dallas Goedert is already on injured reserve with an ankle injury of his own. Philly entered the year with a two-headed monster at tight end, and now both are on the shelf.
That being said Goedert is eligible to return as soon as this week, and if he’s able to go against the Giants that would be huge. Ertz hasn’t been putting up the numbers we’re used to seeing from him, and he’s reportedly very frustrated about his contract situation.
Jackson is a starter on defense, so that’s a big loss as well. Driscoll is a fourth-round rookie who found himself starting at right tackle on Sunday after an injury to Lane Johnson. The Eagles were already thin at tackle after the season-ending injury to Andre Dillard in August, and if Johnson isn’t ready to return the situation is going to get dire. It’s just been that type of season for Philadelphia.
Broncos Sign Blake Bortles To Practice Squad
Blake Bortles won’t be leaving Denver after all. The Broncos released Bortles on Saturday after Drew Lock got healthy enough to return, but a source told Benjamin Allbright of KOA 850 AM that they’re re-signing Bortles to the practice squad (Twitter link).
Allbright added that Bortles impressed in the quarterback room, and it sounds like the team wants him around as a veteran mentor to the young Lock. For now the team has former Boise State quarterback and 2019 UDFA Brett Rypien as the backup, with Jeff Driskel still on the roster as the third-string. Bortles originally signed with the Broncos back on September 22nd.
The third overall pick of the 2014 draft, Bortles was the starter in Jacksonville for the first five years of his career. After that tumultuous stint he signed in Los Angeles last year, and spent 2019 carrying Jared Goff‘s clipboard. Thanks to the league’s new COVID-19 rules, veterans like Bortles are allowed to sign to practice squads for the first time.
Panthers Send Players And Coaches Home After Positive COVID-19 Test
UPDATE, 5:10pm: The Panthers placed Michael Schofield on the reserve/COVID-19 list Monday, which would seem to indicate he’s likely the positive test. The reserve interior lineman started two games at guard earlier this year.
12:30pm: There could be a new COVID-19 case in the league. The Panthers announced Monday that they had sent all players, coaches, and staff home for the day following an unconfirmed positive test.
That test is now being re-ran to make sure it isn’t a false positive. The Panthers were under stricter protocols this past week since they played against the Falcons and Marlon Davidson in Week 5, who later tested positive. It’s unclear who the positive within the Panthers organization is, or if it’s related to that contact with Davidson. Carolina did say that they were hoping to all be back in the building on Wednesday, which would mean they wouldn’t miss any real practice time.
Hopefully it turns out to be a false positive or at least an isolated case, but this isn’t what the 3-3 Panthers needed as they prepare for a big divisional game against the Saints where they are big underdogs. Carolina is coming off a disappointing home loss to the Bears on Sunday. We’ll keep you posted as soon as we hear more on the situation.
NFC North Notes: Vikings, Cousins, Packers, Workouts, Bears, Castillo
The Vikings fell to 1-5 after their lopsided loss to the Falcons on Sunday, and Kirk Cousins had another bad game. He ended up leading a few scoring drives in garbage time to make his final numbers not look too bad, but his three early interceptions sealed the loss. It was his second game of the year with three picks, and he now has a league-high ten on the year. Speaking to the media after the game, Cousins acknowledged that his turnover issues could lead to a benching if he doesn’t get things cleaned up. “The reality is if the pace that I’m on, in terms of the interceptions, if that were to continue, I won’t finish the season. I won’t,” Cousins said bluntly, per Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
“There’s a little bit of – you’ve got to improve whether it’s them telling me ‘hey, we’ve got to improve’ or them pulling me, you’ve got to get better and that will be what the rest of the season will be about for me,” the Vikings’ signal-caller said. For what it’s worth, head coach Mike Zimmer said after the game that he didn’t consider benching Cousins during the loss. Minnesota’s backup is former Jared Goff clipboard-holder Sean Mannion, who isn’t exactly the most appealing second-string option. Cousins signed an extension back in March that has him under contract through the 2022 season. His dead cap hit would be $41MM next year, so moving on after this season isn’t really an option. As such, Zimmer is in a pretty tight bind if Cousins keeps playing like this.
Here’s more from the NFC North:
- The Packers worked out kicker Giorgio Tavecchio earlier this week, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). There’s no indication there’s any problem with Mason Crosby, so this was probably just Green Bay doing some due diligence in the event of an injury of COVID-19 problems. Tavecchio has kicked for the Raiders and Falcons in recent years, and also spent time with the Los Angeles Wildcats of the XFL.
- Tavecchio isn’t the only one the Packers are planning on working out. Green Bay will host linebacker Alvin Jones as soon as he clears the COVID-19 protocols, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Notably, Jones is the win brother of Packers star running back Aaron Jones. A fellow UTEP product, the linebacker spent the past couple years with the Ravens, mostly on injured reserve and the practice squad. He’s yet to appear in a regular season NFL game. “I’m glad he’s going to get his opportunity and get a chance to work out,” Aaron said to the media. “I know he’ll do whatever he needs to do and hopefully he’s on the team with me. I’d love to have that. That’d be a true joy.“
- The Bears improved to 5-1 with their win over the Panthers on Sunday, and they did it without one of their position coaches. Offensive line coach Juan Castillo is away from the team as he self isolates due to a close exposure to someone who is COVID-19 positive, Brad Briggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets. Castillo is apparently considered high risk, and the positive he was in contact with was someone away from the team and not a player.
Jets Trade Steve McLendon To Buccaneers
Is the fire sale starting? Just hours after their latest loss the Jets have agreed to trade defensive tackle Steve McLendon to the Buccaneers, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets.
The Buccaneers will send a sixth-round pick in 2022 and get back a seventh-round pick in 2023, Stroud tweets. Tampa Bay was in need of a nose tackle run-stuffer after the season-ending injury to Vita Vea, so they went out and made a quick move. McLendon will be reuniting with Bucs defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, who was his head coach with the Jets, which helps explain this acquisition.
McLendon was a locker room leader for the Jets and his departure will ‘sting’ some current Jets players, Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets. McLendon was one of the few vocal guys in the locker room, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets. The Jets are now 0-6 on the year, and it’s hard not to feel like this is the beginning of a larger tanking process.
There are still two-plus weeks until the trade deadline, and it wouldn’t be surprising if more of New York’s veterans were shipped out before it as they currently lead in the Trevor Lawrence sweepstakes. McLendon is 34 now, but still capable of clogging up some running lanes.
He’s a free agent at the end of the year, so it makes sense for Jets GM Joe Douglas to get anything for him while he still can, no matter how small. An UDFA from Troy in 2009, McLendon spent his first seven years with the Steelers before signing a three-year, $12MM pact with the Jets in 2016. He’s started at least 14 games in each of the past three seasons. He’s never provided too much as a pass-rusher, although he did have 2.5 sacks last year. He’s not Vea, but this will still be a welcome addition for a contending Tampa team in need of bodies in the middle.