Latest On Rams’ Receiving Corps
OCTOBER 6: Unsurprisingly, given his practice participation so far this week, Kupp is poised to take the field in Week 5. Dianna Russini of the Athletic reports Kupp is expected to play on Sunday in the absence of any setbacks taking place in the next two days. The All-Pro is currently on a snap count at practice, though, as the team remains cautious with the return process. Presuming his workload sees an incremental increase in the immediate future, Kupp will be in line to make his 2023 debut.
OCTOBER 5: Cooper Kupp took a major step towards his return to the field. Per ESPN’s Field Yates, the Rams star wideout was upgraded to a full participant at practice today.
While it’s still uncertain if Kupp will see the field for Week 5, it’s undoubtedly a good sign that he put in a full day’s work on Thursday. The receiver was designated for return by the Rams yesterday, and he was later listed as a limited participant at Wednesday’s practice. The Rams technically have 21 days to activate Kupp from injured reserve, but his participation at practice points to him being activated way before that October 25 deadline.
Kupp has been dealing with hamstring injuries that forced him off the field for most of training camp, and his subsequent placement on injured reserve meant he’d be sidelined until at least Week 5. While the Rams will surely lean on Kupp to determine when he’s fully ready for game action, coach Sean McVay indicated that the timing of Kupp’s activation would be a collective decision.
Fortunately for the Rams, the offense hasn’t missed a beat without their All-Pro receiver. Rookie fifth-round pick Puka Nacua has been a revelation, with the wideout setting a number of records through his first four games in the NFL. Yahoo’s Jori Epstein explored how the BYU product ultimately landed in Los Angeles as the 20th wide receiver off the board.
As the writer notes, Nacua’s issues with missed games likely contributed to his late-round grade, and he also had an underwhelming 40-yard-dash performance during his pro day. Fortunately for the prospect, the Rams have never been all that interested in those pro-day performances, and the team was still intrigued with Nacua’s ability to make tough catches and his willingness to block both defensive ends and defensive backs.
The Rams seem to have hit on their late-round pick. Nacua has hauled in 31 catches through four weeks, an NFL record. When Kupp comes back, Matthew Stafford will have a number of worthy targets to throw to.
Browns “Pleased” With Current RB Group
The Browns have made a handful of moves to account for Nick Chubb‘s season-ending injury, but that hasn’t stopped the organization from being mentioned as a potential suitor for any RBs who have been or could be made available. When asked specifically if the Browns would consider making a move for disgruntled Colts star Jonathan Taylor, GM Andrew Berry hinted that he’s content with his current running back corps.
“Because of the tampering rules, I know I can’t touch on specific players,” Berry said yesterday (h/t Scott Petrak of The Chronicle-Telegram). “We’re always active seekers, participants in the trade market, but I would say we’re pleased with the running back room.”
Jerome Ford topped 100 yards while filling in for an injured Chubb in Week 2, but since he’s entered the starting lineup, he’s put up two lackluster performances. Between the two games, Ford has been limited to 96 yards from scrimmage on 26 touches, although he did find the end zone twice in Week 3.
The team re-signed Kareem Hunt once Chubb went down, and the veteran has garnered the second-most snaps at the position for Cleveland over the past two weeks. However, the veteran RB has also struggled with a 3.9-yards-per-touch mark. Of course, Hunt could also still be finding his groove after waiting until the regular season to sign a deal.
Third-stringer Pierre Strong has put up the best numbers of the bunch, with the second-year pro averaging 5.9 yards on his 13 touches. The former Patriots fourth-round pick has served as the clear RB3 behind Ford and Hunt, and his upside could be a reason why the Browns aren’t in any rush to add reinforcement at the position.
Besides signing Hunt, the Browns also added one of Taylor’s former teammates to the practice squad. Deon Jackson started Week 1 for the Colts but was limited to only 14 rushing yards on 13 attempts. The former UDFA looked serviceable in 2022, finishing with 445 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. For the time being, he’s sitting fourth in the pecking order in Cleveland.
As Berry indicated, the Browns wouldn’t shy away from a no-brainer trade, and plenty could change between now and the October 31 trade deadline. For the time being, it sounds like the Browns will be sticking with their current running backs grouping.
Bears Release QB Nathan Peterman
For the second time in two weeks, Nathan Peterman has been let go by the Bears. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Chicago released the veteran quarterback today.
Peterman spent most of the 2022 campaign as the Bears’ QB3, but he ended up starting the team’s regular-season finale with both Justin Fields and Trevor Siemian sidelined. Peterman fared okay in that contest, tossing a touchdown without an interception in an eventual loss.
The 29-year-old re-signed with the organization this past offseason, and despite being part of the Bears’ final roster cuts, he was brought back as the QB2 to start the season. Since then, the veteran has dropped down the depth chart, with UDFA Tyson Bagent being promoted to the primary backup behind Fields.
As a result, Peterman was cut from the roster in September but was quickly brought back. It will be interesting to see if the front office follows a similar path this time around. For what it’s worth, the organization is only rostering a pair of QBs in Fields and Bagent, so they’ll surely need some more depth following tonight’s game.
Peterman has emerged as a popular backup QB in recent years, having previously held the clipboard for the Bills and Raiders. In total, Peterman has seen time in 13 games (five starts), completing 53.1 percent of his passes for 712 yards, four touchdowns, and 13 interceptions.
The Bears also announced that they’ve officially activated guard Teven Jenkins off injured reserve and promoted defensive back A.J. Thomas from the practice squad. The 2022 UDFA out of Western Michigan has spent his entire career in Chicago, collecting four tackles in five appearances.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/5/23
Today’s practice squad moves:
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: CB Rejzohn Wright
- Released: TE John Samuel Shenker
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: QB Tanner Morgan
New York Jets
- Signed: OL Xavier Newman-Johnson
- Released: OL Adam Pankey
This will be a bit of a homecoming for quarterback Tanner Morgan, who played college ball at the University of Minnesota. Morgan had a breakout campaign in 2019, finishing with 30 touchdowns, but he only had a combined 26 passing touchdowns between 2020 and 2022. As a result, the QB went undrafted in this year’s draft, and following a preseason stint with the Steelers, he’ll now be joining the Vikings’ quarterbacks room.
Vikings backup QB Nick Mullens is dealing with a back injury that kept him out of practice today. Morgan will temporarily slide into the QB3 role behind Kirk Cousins and fifth-round rookie Jaren Hall.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/5/23
Just one minor transaction to pass along today:
Washington Commanders
- Promoted: RB Derrick Gore
The Commanders ruled out running back Chris Rodriguez for tonight’s game against the Bears, so the organization added some extra depth to their backfield. Gore was promoted for Week 4 to fill in for Rodriguez, and the practice squad RB ended up seeing time on six offensive snaps and 19 special teams snaps. Gore’s most productive season came with the Chiefs in 2021, when he finished with 256 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Latest On Panthers’ WR Pursuit
We heard this weekend that the Panthers were in the market for some wide receiver help, but it sounds like they’re looking for more than a back-of-the-depth-chart option. According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Panthers are actually seeking a “No. 1 caliber guy.”
[RELATED: Panthers Looking To Acquire Wide Receiver]
The Panthers signed Adam Thielen and DJ Chark and selected Mississippi’s Jonathan Mingo in the second round of this past year’s draft. So, considering the recent moves the Panthers made at the position, it was easy to assume the front office wouldn’t be looking to steal headlines with their next WR acquisition.
However, Schultz says that isn’t the case, as the Panthers are committed to adding a “top-tier” wide receiver. This is partly due to the team’s own evaluation through the first four weeks; per Schultz, the Panthers front office has determined that they haven’t surrounded Bryce Young with enough weapons. However, the organization is also “all in” on their rookie quarterback, and they’re eage to surround him with elite talent as soon as possible.
Many of the recent big-name receiver trades (Stefon Diggs, Davante Adams, A.J. Brown, Tyreek Hill) have been made during the offseason. It’s uncertain who the Panthers will be able to pry loose during the 2023 campaign, and they may be hard pressed to find a clear-cut WR1 on the trade market.
Troy Renck of Denver7 notes that the Broncos could be a match for a trade. The reporter tweets that both Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton were involved in trade talks this past offseason, and the duo stuck in Denver after the Broncos remained “firm on their demands.” Perhaps the Panthers would be more willing to meet Denver’s asking price, or perhaps the Broncos are willing to lower their demands.
Patriots Sign DT Trysten Hill To Practice Squad
The Patriots have added a notable name to their practice squad. According to Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald, the Patriots have signed defensive tackle Trysten Hill to the taxi squad. Hill worked out for New England earlier today.
[RELATED: Patriots Place DT Daniel Ekuale On IR]
The Patriots will see if they can get anything out of the former second-round pick after he flamed out in Dallas. Hill was limited to 25 games in three-plus season with the Cowboys, compiling 39 tackles and 1.5 sacks. A torn ACL partly contributed to those missed games, but he also struggled to carve out a role when healthy.
He was ultimately waived by the Cowboys last November and caught on with the Cardinals for the stretch run of the 2022 season. He ended up getting into six games with Arizona, collecting six tackles and one sack. He joined the Browns this past offseason and signed with the practice squad after final cuts, but he was let go in late September.
The Patriots will hope Hill can at least provide some temporary depth on the defensive line. The team placed defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale on injured reserve last week, leaving the team with Davon Godchaux, Lawrence Guy, Christian Barmore, and Sam Roberts as options at the position. Hill will likely compete with fellow practice squad players Jeremiah Pharms Jr. and Manny Jones for weekly elevations.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/3/23
Today’s practice squad transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: DT Phil Hoskins
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: WR Frank Darby
- Placed on IR: TE Parker Hesse
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: DB DeAndre Houston-Carson, CB Tre Swilling, TE Eric Tomlinson
- Released: WRDontay Demus Jr.
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: CB Herb Miller
- Released: WR Marcell Ateman
Chicago Bears
- Signed: CB Christian Matthew
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: WR Kendric Pryor
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: LB Mikel Jones
Denver Broncos
- Released: WR Michael Bandy
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: S Christian Young
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: CB Darren Hall
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: CB Mark Milton, WR Freddie Swain
New York Giants
- Released: RB Taiwan Jones
New York Jets
- Signed: CB Kalon Barnes, CB Tae Hayes, DB Craig James
- Released: OL Chris Glaser, OT Cedric Ogbuehi, CB Nehemiah Shelton
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released: LB Kyron Johnson
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: OT Obinna Eze
- Released: RB Greg Bell, WR Jalen Camp
Taiwan Jones will now look to catch on elsewhere after getting let go by the Giants. The veteran joined New York’s practice squad back in August and was elevated for the first two games of the season, with Jones returning one kick and one punt. It’s been a bit since Jones last contributed on offense, but the veteran was a reliable special teams player for the Bills for half a decade (two stints).
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/3/23
Today’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Waived from IR: LB Buddy Johnson
Denver Broncos
- Waived: CB Essang Bassey
Green Bay Packers
- Designated for return: CB Eric Stokes
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed to active roster: WR Amari Rodgers
- Placed on IR: CB Dallis Flowers (story)
Tennessee Titans
- Designated for return: WR Kyle Philips
- Waived: WR Mason Kinsey, OL Xavier Newman-Johnson
Cardinals Waive P Nolan Cooney, Sign P Blake Gillikin
The Cardinals are shaking it up at the punter position. The team announced that they’ve waived Nolan Cooney and replaced him with free agent Blake Gillikin.
Cooney earned the starting gig during training camp, beating out Matt Haack to be the replacement for veteran Andy Lee. While Cooney has only landed two of his 13 punts inside the opponent’s 20, he did average 45.5 yards per punt and a 40.3-yard net this year. However, Cooney’s performance this past weekend may have forced the Cardinals’ hand. The punter averaged only 39 yards (31 net) on his three punts.
So, in comes Gillikin. The Penn State product spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons with the Saints, averaging 47 yards per punt (41.4 net) while landing 61of his 160 punts inside the opponent’s 20. Lou Hedley ended up beating out Gillikin for the starting gig in New Orleans during the preseason, leading to the veteran’s release.
The Cardinals weren’t done making moves today, with the team also announcing that they’ve signed safety Joey Blount to the active roster. Blount joined Arizona’s practice squad last month after getting let go by the Seahawks. The former UDFA got into 11 games for Seattle last season, finishing with eight tackles while exclusively playing on special teams.