Minor NFL Transactions: 9/26/23
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted: DT Roy Lopez
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed off Steelers practice squad: WR Simi Fehoko
- Placed on IR: WR Mike Williams (story)
Minnesota Vikings
- Released: RB Myles Gaskin
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived from IR: WR Ra’Shaun Henry
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted: OL Justin Murray
- Placed on IR: S Mike Brown, RB Julius Chestnut
The Chargers officially placed Mike Williams on injured reserve today, opening a roster spot. The front office didn’t take long filling his spot on the depth chart, snagging receiver Simi Fehoko from Pittsburgh’s practice squad. The former fifth-round pick spent the first two seasons of his career with the Cowboys, where he hauled in three catches in 10 games. The Stanford product also had a significant role on special teams during his time in Dallas.
Roy Lopez looked to be entrenched in Houston’s defense for the foreseeable future, with the former sixth-round pick starting 29 of his 33 appearances between 2021 and 2022. However, after collecting only 67 tackles and two sacks across those two seasons, he was waived/injured by the Texans at the end of the preseason. The defensive lineman caught on with Arizona’s practice squad late last week.
Patriots Place DT Daniel Ekuale On IR
After suffering an injury during Sunday’s win over the Jets, Patriots defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale will miss at least a month. The team announced that they’ve placed the defensive lineman on injured reserve. According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Ekuale tore his biceps, an injury that will keep him off the field for at least four games.
After bouncing between the Browns and Jaguars to begin his career, Ekuale has found a home in New England in recent years. After getting into seven games with the Patriots in 2021, Ekuale appeared in 15 games for the team in 2022, getting into about one third of the team’s defensive snaps. The defensive tackle ultimately finished last season with 14 tackles and a pair of sacks.
Through the first three games of the 2023 season, Ekuale was seeing a similar role as he did in 2022. Pro Football Focus currently has the defensive tackle graded 50th among 128 qualifying interior defenders, although the site did give him a top-20 grade for his run defense.
Fortunately for the Patriots, the team isn’t in desperate need for defensive line help. Davon Godchaux and Lawrence Guy will continue to soak up most of the snaps in the middle of the defensive line, and the team could get creative with Christian Barmore. Sam Roberts also saw a bump in snaps once Ekuale exited Sunday’s game.
Panthers S Xavier Woods To Miss “Extended Time”
The Panthers are down another key defensive back. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, safety Xavier Woods is set to miss “extended time” while recovering from a hamstring injury.
[RELATED: Panthers To Place CB Jaycee Horn On IR]
It’s uncertain exactly how much time Woods will miss, but a source told Fowler that the safety could be sidelined for four-to-six weeks. Woods has generally stayed healthy during his career, missing a total of six regular season games through his first six seasons in the league.
The former Cowboys sixth-round pick turned into a reliable starting safety during his time in Dallas, starting all 44 of his appearances between 2018 and 2020. Woods joined the Vikings for the 2021 campaign and proceeded to have a career year, finishing with a career-high 108 tackles, 10 passes defended, and three interceptions.
That performance earned the safety a three-year, $15.75MM deal from the Panthers during the 2022 offseason. Woods started all 15 of his appearances during his first season in Carolina, finishing with 86 tackles. He also started the Panthers’ first three games of the 2023 campaign, with Pro Football Focus grading him as the eighth-best safety among 85 qualifying players.
This is a tough break for a Panthers secondary that recently lost cornerback Jaycee Horn to a hamstring injury. That issue ultimately landed the starter on injured reserve. The team will have to dig deeper into their secondary depth with Woods set to miss time. Rookie fifth-round pick Jammie Robinson and UDFA D’Shawn Jamison round out the safeties depth chart behind Woods and Donte Jackson.
Bengals Add QB A.J. McCarron To Practice Squad
The Bengals are adding more quarterback insurance with Joe Burrow uncertain to play on Monday night. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the Bengals are signing veteran QB A.J. McCarron to their practice squad. Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer reported earlier today that McCarron was working out for the Bengals.
This is a homecoming for McCarron, who was drafted by the Bengals in the fifth round of the 2014 draft. The quarterback ended up spending three seasons in Cincy before bouncing around the NFL in recent years. McCarron’s longest recent gig came with the Texans, where he spent a pair of seasons. The Alabama product has also had stints with the Bills, Raiders, and Falcons. In total, McCarron has seen time in 17 career games (four starts), throwing for 1,173 passing yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions. He’s also started one playoff game, going winless in 2015.
Most recently, McCarron spent time with the St. Louis BattleHawks of the XFL, leading the league in passing touchdowns, passer rating, and completion percentage. Following his standout campaign, the 33-year-old indicated that he’d be open to another NFL opportunity.
He’ll find that in Cincinnati, where Burrow will be listed as questionable on Monday night while dealing with a calf injury (per ESPN’s Adam Schefter). Will Grier was snagged by the Patriots off the Bengals’ practice squad earlier this week, leaving the team with Jake Browning as the lone QB behind Burrow. The Bengals added Reid Sinnett to the grouping yesterday, and with McCarron on board, the organization can now choose from one of three QBs as a backup plan to Burrow.
Colts Release RB Deon Jackson
The Colts are moving on from a Week 1 starter. The team is releasing running back Deon Jackson, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The Colts are filling the open roster spot with running back Trey Sermon, who will be promoted from the practice squad to the active roster.
[RELATED: Colts Add RB Trey Sermon To Practice Squad]
With Jonathan Taylor sitting on PUP and Zack Moss sidelined with a hand injury, the Colts handed Jackson the reigns to start the season. The third-year RB disappointed, finishing Week 1 with 28 yards from scrimmage on 18 touches. Moss returned in Week 2 and stole all the running back carries, and Jackson was limited to only a single special teams snap in that win over the Texans.
Now, Jackson will find himself looking for his next gig. The former UDFA out of Duke spent two-plus seasons in Indy, appearing in 27 games. He started two of his 16 appearances in 2022, finishing with 445 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns.
While the Colts continue to seek a resolution with Taylor, the team has done some work to reshuffle their RB corps this week. The team added Sermon to the practice squad before declaring Evan Hull out for the season with a torn meniscus. For the time being, the Colts will move forward with a depth chart that consists of Moss, Sermon, and Jake Funk.
Sermon started two of his nine appearances for the 49ers during his rookie campaign, with the third-round pick finishing with 193 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown. San Francisco ended up cutting him at the end of the 2022 preseason, and he spent most of last season on the Eagles practice squad.
Texans Sign CB DeAndre Houston-Carson To Active Roster
The Texans will be without several key members of their secondary for the foreseeable future, so the team has added a veteran defensive back to their active roster. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, the Texans are signing DeAndre Houston-Carson to their active roster.
[RELATED: Texans CBs Derek Stingley Jr. To Miss Time]
After getting cut by the Ravens at the end of the preseason, Houston-Carson caught on with Houston’s practice squad. The 30-year-old cornerback already earned one promotion, collecting a pair of tackles while playing about half of the Texans’ defensive snaps last weekend.
The 2016 sixth-round pick spent seven seasons with the Bears to begin his career. Houston-Carson was mostly a key special teamer through his first five seasons in Chicago, but he saw a more significant role on defense over his final two years with the organization. Between those 2021 and 2022 seasons, the defensive back compiled 59 tackles, five passes defended, and a pair of interceptions in 30 games (nine starts).
After inking a one-year deal to stay in Chicago last offseason, Houston-Carson hit free agency this past spring. He ended up signing with the Ravens in mid-August and was cut by the team only two weeks later.
Derek Stingley Jr. suffered a hamstring injury in practice this week that will sideline him for six-to-eight weeks. Meanwhile, starting safety Jalen Pitre will miss Houston’s Week 3 contest while dealing with a bruised lung, safety Eric Murray is returning from a concussion, and nickelback Tavierre Thomas is out with a broken hand. In other words, there should be plenty of secondary snaps up for grabs against the Jaguars tomorrow.
Bears HC Matt Eberflus To Take Over Defensive Play-Calling Duties
Alan Williams‘ sudden resignation as Bears defensive coordinator left a major hole on Chicago’s coaching staff. However, the organization isn’t anticipating any major hirings following the subtraction. Matt Eberflus told reporters that the defensive coaching staff will remain intact, and the head coach will be taking over defensive play-calling duties.
[RELATED: Bears DC Alan Williams Resigns]
“This is the best thing for right now,” Eberflus said of the play-calling decision (via ESPN’s Courtney Cronin). “I think that’s where it is. It’s the best thing for our football team and for our organization. That’s where we see it, and that’s where it is.”
Eberflus emerged as a worthy head coach candidate thanks to his defensive acumen, with the Colts ranking as a top-10 scoring defense during three of his four years as Indy’s defensive coordinator. Eberflus is the most logical contingency plan for the Bears, although the team does have 35 years of combined coaching experience in cornerbacks coach Jon Hoke and safeties coach Andre Curtis.
Despite the unexpected end to Williams’ stint as defensive coordinator, Eberflus made it clear that he still supports his now-former coach. The two coached alongside each other with the Colts, where Williams served as safeties coach.
“Obviously, I was with him four years, five years,” Eberflus said. “I have a lot of friendship. I have feelings for him. And again, he’s resigned and it’s for health and family, and we’ll see where it goes from there.”
While the head coach publicly supported Williams, some reporters observed that the players have been relatively quiet on the matter. This inspired someone to ask Eberflus about the lack of public support from the players, but the head coach downplayed the matter and cited Williams’ privacy.
“I wouldn’t read into that,” Eberflus said. “It’s personal. So people are respecting that and respecting space, I believe. That’s what I believe it is. It’s no disrespect to the question, it’s none of that. That’s where it is.”
Steelers Won’t Make “Knee-Jerk Reactions” With OC Matt Canada
The Steelers offense has struggled mightily through the first two weeks of the 2023 season, leading fans at Acrisure Stadium to call for offensive coordinator Matt Canada‘s firing during Monday’s eventual win over the Browns. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin acknowledged the offense’s struggles and admitted to hearing the fans’ “Fire Canada” chant, but he told reporters that he doesn’t envision making a change to his staff.
“We aren’t going to have knee-jerk reactions in terms of making wholesale changes to change that outcome, but we do acknowledge two is a pattern,” Tomlin said (via Mark Kaboly of The Athletic). “We’ve had two outings that are not up to snuff in that regard, so it has our attention.”
Through eight quarters, the Steelers offense has found the end zone as many times as the defense (twice). As Kaboly notes, the unit has had 12 three-and-outs on 25 drives, and the offense didn’t have one snap in the red zone during their win over Cleveland.
Naturally, the offense’s lack of success will be a reflection on Canada. Still, as Kaboly points out, it’d be unlike the organization to make a major coaching move during the season; the last time the Steelers made such a move was when Bill Cowher removed Ray Sherman’s play-calling duties during the 1998 campaign. Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette echoes that sentiment, writing that it’d take “a lot” for Canada to get fired before the season ends.
You can’t blame the Pittsburgh faithful for being frustrated. Since getting promoted from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator in 2021, Canada hasn’t been able to guide the Steelers to even an above-average operation. The team dropped from 22nd in points score in 2021 to 24th in 2022, and while they jumped from 25th to 19th in total yards, the passing offense took a major step back.
Tomlin has continued to bring back Canada despite the underwhelming results, and the team retained him for 2023 with the idea that he’d offer some continuity to Kenny Pickett and the young offense. The Steelers coach hasn’t changed his tune, but he did admit that his staff has to do a better job of preparing the offense.
“It starts with coaching,” Tomlin said. “We have to coach better. We have to get these guys playing faster with more fluidity and surer. We have to play more coordinated, especially early in games. We have to anticipate the schematics of those we play against a little bit better. Displaying anticipation is a component of preparedness. We have to put them in really good circumstances, we have to recognize those circumstances and perform.”
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/21/23
Today’s practice squad moves:
Houston Texans
- Signed: CB D’Angelo Ross
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: G Dakoda Shepley
- Placed on IR: CB Isaac Taylor-Stuart
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: DB Michael Ojemudia
New England Patriots
- Signed: CB Breon Borders, CB Azizi Hearn
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: RB Kirk Merritt
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: LB Tyreke Smith
- Released: OL Greg Eiland
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DE Jayden Peevy
The Patriots are struggling with injuries in their cornerbacks room, so the organization added two players to the practice squad for reinforcement. Borders has the most experience, with the veteran appearing in 32 games since entering the league in 2017. He only got into a single game for the Bears in 2022, but he did appear in 12 games with the Titans and Cardinals in 2021. Hearn had a stint with the Chargers after going undrafted out of UCLA in this year’s draft.
Patriots To Place CB Marcus Jones On IR
The Patriots will be without a key defensive back for the foreseeable future. Marcus Jones suffered a torn labrum during New England’s loss to Miami on Sunday night, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald reports that the second-year pro has landed on injured reserve.
Jones was one of New England’s lone bright spots in 2022. The rookie third-round pick ended up earning first-team All-Pro honors after leading the NFL in punt return yards. He finished the season with one punt return touchdown, with the score serving as a game-winner during New England’s Week 11 win over the Jets.
Jones wasn’t just a standout on special teams. He got into more than a third of his team’s defensive snaps, finishing with 39 tackles, seven passes defended, and two interceptions (including a pick six). He even added a 48-yard touchdown reception, making him the first NFL player in 45 years to score on offense, defense, and special teams in one season.
Through two games this season, the 24-year-old was serving in much the same role as 2022. He started one of his two appearances, getting into 44 defensive snaps, nine ST snaps, and one offensive snap.
Jonathan Jones missed Week 2 for the Patriots. While the veteran cornerback returned to practice in a limited fashion yesterday, he’ll likely be listed as questionable for this weekend’s matchup against the Jets. Jack Jones is also on IR, meaning New England could be forced to dig into their depth chart on Sunday. Besides first-round rookie Christian Gonzalez, the only healthy CBs on New England’s active roster are Shaun Wade and rookie sixth-round pick Ameer Speed.
The Patriots could turn to veteran Jalen Mills, who has mostly seen time at safety this season. New England will also likely turn to at least one of their practice squad cornerbacks, a grouping that includes Breon Borders, Azizi Hearn, and William Hooper. The Patriots also added cornerbacks Breon Borders and Azizi Hearn to the taxi squad today.