Cardinals RB James Conner Could Miss Multiple Weeks
The Cardinals could be without their top running back for a bit. Sources tell Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com that James Conner is expected to miss Sunday’s game against the Seahawks and “perhaps additional time.”
Conner suffered a rib injury in Week 5 that limited him to only 35 percent of his team’s offensive snaps. The veteran RB started each of Arizona’s first five games, collecting 303 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown on 68 touches. This came a season after Conner finished with 18 total touchdowns.
It’s unfortunate timing for the Cardinals, as backup running back Darrel Williams is currently sidelined with a knee injury. The team also recently placed RB Jonathan Ward on injured reserve after he suffered a hamstring injury, leaving the team with a depleted depth chart at the position.
Eno Benjamin should get the bulk of the snaps at running back. The second-year player has seen time in all five of Arizona’s games this season, collecting 233 yards from scrimmage and one score. The team also recently added Ty’Son Williams and Corey Clement to the practice squad, and there’s a good chance at least one of those players will join the active roster for this weekend’s contest.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/13/22
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/13/22
Today’s minor NFL transactions:
New England Patriots
- Signed to active roster: RB Kevin Harris
Washington Commanders
- Promoted: LB Khaleke Hudson, CB Danny Johnson
Harris was a sixth-round pick by the Patriots in this year’s draft, but he landed on the practice squad after getting cut prior to the regular season. With Damien Harris sidelined, Harris will join fellow rookie Pierre Strong behind starter Rhamondre Stevenson.
Rams Notes: OBJ, Injuries, Offensive Line
Odell Beckham Jr. took to Twitter earlier today to express disappointment in the Rams’ latest offer, noting that the front office offered him “the lowest of low offers.” Despite OBJ’s public complaint about negotiations, Rams head coach Sean McVay actually expressed optimism about re-signing the veteran receiver.
“I love Odell. We have constant dialogue,” McVay said today (via The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue). “I think he also knows that certainly I don’t think that’s the last (offer) that will come from us. I’m not familiar with exactly what it is, he knows how we feel about him. We’ve got a little bit of time. Love Odell, nothing but good things coming from me.”
While OBJ has been considering overtures from various teams, the receiver did admit that the Rams “know where [he] wanted to be.” If the organization is willing to extend a bit financially, it sounds like they should have the inside track on signing the wideout.
Beckham Jr. joined the Rams midway through last season and had 305 receiving yards and five touchdowns in eight games. He added another 21 catches in four playoff games, with his postseason ending prematurely thanks to a torn ACL suffered during the Super Bowl. The Rams have continually been connected to the receiver throughout the offseason, even after extending Cooper Kupp and spending on Allen Robinson.
More notes out of Los Angeles:
- Rams wideout Cooper Kupp (foot), defensive tackle Aaron Donald (foot), and tight end Tyler Higbee (ankle) were all held out of practice today. McVay said the three players are dealing with injuries sustained during their Week 5 loss to the Cowboys, but he doesn’t expect the ailments to impact the players’ availability for Sunday’s game against the Panthers (per NFL.com).
- The Rams have yet to find their footing on offense, with the running game struggling in particular. McVay was asked about the team’s struggles so far, and instead of pointing the finger at Cam Akers or Darrell Henderson, he instead attributes the issues to a lack of continuity on the offensive line. “It depends on the types of concepts and things that we’re trying to activate, but we’ve been at our best when there’s an identity but enough versatility to be able to alleviate the stress off of some of your core concepts, and it takes all 11 (players),” McVay said (h/t to John Dillon of The Rams Wire). “It has been a challenge because we’ve never had the same guys up front. We’ve had backs that haven’t really practiced, we’re trying to get a bunch of different things going, all of which is an excuse that just is what I think is for weak-minded people. I’m not going to make them, but we just got to continue to keep swinging and keep plugging along and figure it out because nobody cares and we’ve got to fix it.” The Rams lost another lineman yesterday when they placed guard David Edwards on injured reserve.
- Speaking of running backs, the Rams moved on from RB Jake Funk earlier this week, and the RB has since found a new home on the Saints practice squad. Funk saw time in 10 games with Los Angeles in 2021, mostly appearing on special teams.
Jaguars Lose G Ben Bartch For Season
The Jaguars will be without their starting left guard for the rest of the season. The team announced that Ben Bartch will miss the remainder of the campaign with a knee injury.
Bartch was placed on injured reserve yesterday. The lineman suffered a dislocated knee during Sunday’s loss to the Texans.
“My heart goes out to him,” coach Doug Pederson said (via John Oehser of the team’s website). “When he [Bartch] comes back next year, he’ll be ready to go.”
Bartch was a fourth-round pick by the Jaguars in 2020. He started only one of his 13 appearances during his rookie campaign, but he took on a larger role in 2021, finishing with 11 starts in 15 games. He retained the full-time starting LG gig heading into the 2022 campaign and started each of Jacksonville’s first five games. Pro Football Focus graded him as a middle-of-the-road guard, but he did earn a respectable pass-block grade.
Long-time Jaguars lineman Tyler Shatley will likely fill in at LG, with Walker Little or Cole Van Lanen taking over the veteran’s swing role. Shatley has seen time in 116 games throughout his career, including 17 games (eight starts) last year.
“Anytime you have veteran backups, swing guys that go multiple spots, it’s beneficial,” Pederson said. “Shatley’s one of those guys. Whether it’s guard or center, it’s just valuable to have.”
Chiefs Add RB Wayne Gallman To Practice Squad
The Chiefs have added some veteran depth at running back. The team announced that they’ve signed running back Wayne Gallman to the practice squad. To make room, the team released defensive tackle Cortez Broughton.
Gallman was a fourth-round pick by the Giants in 2017, and he mostly served as a backup through his first three seasons in the NFL. Thanks to an injury to Saquon Barkley, the backup ended up getting 10 starts in 2020, finishing with 796 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns. He parlayed that performance into a contract with the 49ers, but he was cut prior to the 2021 campaign. Since then, he’s spent time with the Falcons and Vikings, and he collected 125 yards in eight games between the two squads last year. He remained unsigned throughout the 2022 offseason.
Barring an injury, the 28-year-old probably won’t see a significant role in Kansas City. Clyde Edwards-Helaire leads the RB room, with the Chiefs also rostering rookie Isiah Pacheco and vets Jerick McKinnon and Ronald Jones.
Broughton was a seventh-round pick by the Chargers in 2019. He saw time in 11 games across two seasons with the organization before earning his walking papers prior to the 2021 campaign. He later caught on with the Chiefs and made one appearance last season.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/12/22
Today’s practice squad transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: WR Andre Baccellia, WR Laquon Treadwell
- Placed on IR: RB Jonathan Ward
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: CB Daryl Worley
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: DE Khalid Kareem
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: TE Miller Forristall
Denver Broncos
- Signed: LS Joe Fortunato, LB Jonathan Kongbo
Detroit lions
- Signed: WR Maurice Alexander
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: LB Rashod Berry, DL Jeremiah Ledbetter
New England Patriots
- Signed: LB Calvin Munson
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: RB Jake Funk
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: CB Duke Dawson
- Released: RB Jason Huntley
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: RB Marlon Mack, K Samuel Sloman
- Released: QB Kurt Benkert
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: CB Xavier Crawford
- Released: DE Jabari Zuniga
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: LB Ulysees Gilbert, CB Quandre Mosely
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/12/22
Today’s minor NFL transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted: K Matt Ammendola, S Chris Banjo
Chicago Bears
- Designated to return: OL Alex Leatherwood
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: CB Thomas Graham Jr.
Green Bay Packers
- Designated to return: RB Kylin Hill
Houston Texans
- Signed to active roster: TE Jordan Akins
- Placed on IR: DT Michael Dwumfour
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed to active roster: DL Corey Peters
Kansas City Chiefs
- Promoted: DT Taylor Stallworth
- Waived: DE Benton Whitley
- Designated to return: CB Trent McDuffie
Miami Dolphins
- Designated to return: OT Austin Jackson
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed to active roster: RB Tevin Coleman
- Designated to return: LB Curtis Robinson
Seattle Seahawks
- Released from IR: CB John Reid
Latest On Panthers Coaching Staff
The Panthers organization will have an important decision to make when it comes to replacing Matt Rhule, but the team is more than happy with their current arrangement. Steve Wilks took on the role of interim HC, and Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post writes that this was always the team’s plan if things didn’t work out with their now-former head coach.
[RELATED: Panthers Fire Matt Rhule; Steve Wilks Named Interim HC]
The Panthers convinced Wilks to step away from his defensive coordinator gig at Missouri to be their defensive passing game coordinator/secondary coach. The team made this hiring as a contingency in case they had to move on from Rhule; Wilks was still highly regarded within the organization thanks to his previous stint with the Panthers, and ownership was more than happy to hand him the reigns. Per La Canfora, Wilks will get a legitimate chance to keep the head coaching gig beyond this season.
While Panthers owner David Tepper is more than willing to make a big splash on the sideline, sources tell La Canfora that Sean Payton is not a realistic target. Those sources don’t believe Payton would mesh with Tepper, and the organization’s lack of draft picks and a foundational QB means a quick rebuild is unlikely. Plus, one GM told La Canfora that the Saints would prefer to trade Payton to an AFC squad, and it’s especially unlikely they trade him within the division.
Elsewhere on the coaching staff, Al Holcomb will take over as the defensive play caller. The 51-year-old coach was originally hired as Carolina’s defensive run game coordinator. He’ll replace defensive coordinator Phil Snow, who was fired alongside Rhule. Wilks told Joseph Person of The Athletic that it was his decision to move on from Snow, and Person later wrote that the interim HC had some “philosophical differences” with the DC.
“It was my call and my decision,” Wilks said. “I just felt like I wanted a different approach moving forward … The schemes aren’t gonna change much,” he added. “But I think you have to be creative in the process of what you’re doing. And everything is predicated on who we’re playing.”
Colts Place WR Ashton Dulin On IR
Ashton Dulin will be out for at least the next four games. The Colts announced that they’ve placed the wide receiver/special teams ace on injured reserve. To fill the open roster spot, the team signed defensive tackle Chris Williams to the active roster from the practice squad.
Dulin suffered a foot injury during Thursday’s overtime win over the Broncos. The 25-year-old made a name for himself in 2021 after earning a second-team All-Pro nod for his special teams prowess, with Dulin’s 17 special teams tackles ranking second in the NFL. Besides his spot as a gunner, he also started to see a bigger role on offense in 2021, finishing with 13 catches for 173 yards and two scores. Dulin still had a significant role on ST this season, but he continued to be used on offense. Through five games (one start), he’s hauled in 12 catches for 168 yards.
The Colts have plenty of options to replace Dulin on offense, with Alec Pierce, Mike Strachan and Parris Campbell among the candidates to soak up the open snaps. However, as Nate Atkins of the Indianapolis Star points out, the team will surely miss him on ST; the team has already shuffled through kickers, and both punter Rigoberto Sanchez and fellow ST ace Armani Watts are done for the year.
Williams joined the Colts as an undrafted free agent out of Wagner in 2020. He collected four tackles in eight games for Indy last season, and he made his 2022 debut last week against the Broncos.