NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/2/21
Today’s practice squad moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: CB Chris Williamson
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: S Kavon Frazier
- Released: OL D.J. Fluker
Raiders CB Trayvon Mullen Returns To Practice
Trayvon Mullen‘s return is coming sooner than later. The Raiders designated the defensive back to return from injured reserve today, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).
A foot injury forced Mullen out of the lineup in early October. Up to that point, the former second-round pick had been one of the Raiders’ better defenders, collecting 16 tackles, four passes defended, and one interception in four starts. Pro Football Focus had graded Mullen as a top-25 corner through those four games. After appearing in at least 75 percent of his team’s defensive snaps through the first three weeks, Mullen was limited to only six snaps before suffering a foot injury in Week 4.
“I think he wants to be in a position where he feels like he’s ready to go and he’s not at 70 percent or 80 percent,” interim head coach Rich Bisaccia said yesterday (via Jairo Alvarado of SI.com). “And I think we’d like that from him as well to come back where he knows he can get out there and compete.”
The Raiders also waived wideout Dillon Stoner today, per Aaron Wilson (on Twitter). The rookie signed with the Raiders as an undrafted free agent back in May, and he’s spent most of the season on the team’s practice squad. He saw time in four games for the Raiders, collecting one special teams tackle while appearing in only seven offensive snaps.
Saints Place DE Tanoh Kpassagnon On IR
Tanoh Kpassagnon will be sidelined for at least the next three weeks. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that the Saints have placed the defensive end on injured reserve.
Kpassagnon had already been ruled out for Week 13 thanks to a nagging ankle injury. The ailment had forced the defensive lineman to miss the previous two games, as well, and now he won’t see the field until Week 16 at the earliest.
The former second-round pick spent the first four seasons of his career with Kansas City, and he started 23 games for the Chiefs between the 2019 and 2020 seasons (along with six playoff starts and three playoff sacks). He joined the Saints this past offseason on a two-year deal, and he started five of his first eight games with the organization, collecting 18 tackles, four sacks, eight QB hits, and one forced fumble.
New Orleans made a handful of additional moves in anticipation of tonight’s matchup against the Cowboys (per Yates). The team signed offensive tackle Caleb Benenoch, defensive tackle Albert Huggins, and running back Adam Prentice from the practice squad to the active roster, and they also promoted linebacker Chase Hansen and guard Forrest Lamp to the 53-man roster.
Browns GM Discusses Baker Mayfield’s Injury, Potential Extension
Much has been made of Baker Mayfield and his lack of an extension. Fuel has been added to that fire recently, as the Browns have gone 2-5 in Mayfield’s last seven starts, and Cleveland has been limited to only 30 points over their last three games (with the QB tossing three touchdowns vs. three interceptions). However, Browns general manager Andrew Berry provided the former first-overall pick with a vote of confidence today, and he said the signal caller’s various injuries shouldn’t impact the team’s ability to win games.
“Baker’s our quarterback,” Berry said (via ESPN’s Jake Trotter). “He’s healthy enough to win games for us. If he’s ready to go, he’s going to be our starter.”
While Berry refused to speak specifically about Mayfield’s potential extension, he did acknowledge that the team would (naturally) consider the player’s entire body of work vs. his recent struggles.
“With Baker, from a long-term perspective, you try to take a big picture,” Berry said. “With any player, it’s about the body of work over several years. We’ve seen Baker play good football here and play good football this season…There will be plenty of time to think about how we’re going to build the roster next year. Right now, we’re focused on doing everything in our power to maximize this current season.”
Mayfield’s fractured shoulder issue did require one missed game, a narrow Week 7 win over the Broncos, but he has otherwise played through that issue — an ailment that will almost certainly require offseason surgery. The QB also exited the Browns’ Week 10 loss to the Patriots with a knee injury, but that hasn’t forced him to miss any games (and Mayfield has refused to use the knee injury as an excuse for his recent play).
“We all know Baker is incredibly physically tough,” Berry said. “He’s had stretches where he has played well.”
NFC East Notes: Parsons, McAdoo, Giants
The Cowboys are more than happy that they landed on linebacker Micah Parsons with the 12th-overall pick in this year’s draft. Parsons has started each of his 11 games for Dallas, collecting 67 tackles, nine sacks, and two forced fumbles, and he’s the runaway favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year. However, if the Cowboys had had their way, they would have used their selection on a cornerback.
As Jon Machota of The Athletic writes, the team’s “original plan” was to select either South Carolina’s Jaycee Horn or Alabama’s Patrick Surtain II. However, those cornerbacks were scooped up at No. 8 and No. 9 respectively, forcing the front office to pivot. They ended up landing on the Penn State linebacker (after trading down), and the organization couldn’t be happier with how it all turned out.
Parsons explained to Machota how he continues to improve throughout his first season in the NFL.
“People always talk about the rookie wall,” Parsons said, “but I just keep climbing and climbing because I’m excited to see what’s on the other side of that wall.
“I love what we have here. I’m just so honored and blessed to represent the star and have an opportunity to be a star here.”
Some more notes out of the NFC East…
- The Cowboys are dealing with COVID-19 cases throughout their staff, so they’ll be temporarily promoting Ben McAdoo to a coaching role, tweets NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. McAdoo, who had been serving as a “consultant to the coaches” in Dallas, will be in the coaches booth for tomorrow’s game against the Saints. The 44-year-old spent two years as the Giants head coach between 2016 and 2017, and he returned to the NFL last season when he was hired as the Jaguars QBs coach.
- Guess who else liked Horn and Surtain? The Giants, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, but the Eagles’ decision to trade up (with the Cowboys, no less) to select wideout DeVonta Smith was the move that really threw New York’s draft into disarray. With the organization’s targets off the board, the team ultimately decided to trade with the Bears, with the Giants selecting wideout Kadarius Toney at No. 20.
- Another Cowboys/Giants connection: Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv writes that the Joe Judge/Jason Garrett pairing in New York was always an “arranged marriage.” Co-owner John Mara was the one who pushed to add Garrett as the team’s offensive coordinator, and the former Cowboys head coach was an “outlier” on a staff that generally had connections to their head coach. Garrett was ultimately canned by Judge and the Giants in late November after the team had collected a league-low 42 touchdowns.
- Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports opines that the Giants should go all out on Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson this offseason. The writer cites the organization’s draft capital (which, at the moment, includes picks No. 6 and No. 7), Daniel Jones‘ disappointment in New York, and Wilson’s supposed desire to play in the Big Apple. Assuming GM Dave Gettleman is out after the season, this would be a bold way for a new GM to begin their tenure, but the writer believes this would be preferable to rolling with Jones or drafting a quarterback in a weak class.
Saints’ Taysom Hill To Start At QB Tomorrow
The Saints are officially turning to Taysom Hill. The veteran will start at quarterback against the Cowboys tomorrow night, reports ESPN’s Mike Triplett.
[RELATED: Saints, Taysom Hill Agree To Extension]
While he was still rostered as an emergency backup, Hill ended up missing the past two weeks while he recovered from a partially torn plantar fascia. With the Trevor Siemian-led offense sputtering, it seemed inevitable that the Saints would turn to Hill once he was fully healthy. That will end up being the case tomorrow night, as the Swiss Army Knife will be under center for New Orleans.
After also dealing with a concussion earlier this year, Hill has been limited to only seven games this season. While the 31-year-old went 3-1 as a starter at QB last season, he’s been limited to only eight pass attempts in 2021 (completing seven of them for 56 yards and one interception). He’s also seen 24 touches for 156 yards and three touchdowns. Hill signed a “unique four-year, hybrid…contract extension” with the Saints last week.
Siemian slid into the starting lineup once Jameis Winston was lost for the season. While the veteran initially played well, the Saints offense has regressed over the past few weeks, leading to the easy decision. Siemian ultimately went 0-4 in his four starts (five games overall), completing 57.2-percent of his passes for 1,083 yards, nine touchdowns, and three interceptions.
Seahawks Sign Adrian Peterson
Adrian Peterson has added another stop to his illustrious resume. The veteran running back is signing with the Seahawks, head coach Pete Carroll told reporters (via Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times on Twitter). Peterson will initially join the team’s practice squad before getting elevated to the active roster. The running back worked out for the Seahawks earlier today.
The Seahawks have dealt with injuries to the running backs corps all season long. The team already lost starting running back Chris Carson for the season, and Rashaad Penny is currently dealing with an injury of his own (although Carroll told reporters that the running back may be able to play this weekend and will avoid an IR stint for now (via Condotta)). Seattle’s struggling ground game has been led by Alex Collins, who has turned 101 carries into 395 yards and two touchdowns. The team is also rostering DeeJay Dallas and Travis Homer, and they have Josh Johnson stashed on the practice squad.
While Peterson has had a Hall of Fame-worthy career, it remains to be seen if he can provide more than any of Seattle’s current options at the position. The 36-year-old saw time in three games (two starts) for the Titans this year, collecting only 90 yards and one touchdown on 31 touches (good for 2.9 yards per touch). Peterson was waived by Tennessee in late November. Peterson’s last full-time action came in 2020 with the Lions when he notched 604 yards and seven rushing touchdowns.
He’ll have an opportunity to join the 15,000-yard club for running backs, and with 367 more rushing yards, he would pass Barry Sanders for fourth all-time. His NFL career followed a standout stint at Oklahoma, and Carroll told reporters that he tried to recruit the running back while he was at USC (via Condotta).
Saints Cut WR Kevin White, FB Alex Armah
Kevin White‘s stint with the Saints has come to an end. The team has waived the wideout, reports NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter). The team has also cut fullback Alex Armah, per Aaron Wilson (on Twitter).
White, the seventh-overall pick in the 2015 draft, battled injuries throughout his Bears tenure and later caught on with the Cardinals and 49ers. He managed to get into three games with San Francisco last season without recording a reception, and he ended up getting cut by the squad in August.
He ultimately caught on with New Orleans, and he ended up seeing time in five games (one start) for his new squad. The 29-year-old contributed one 38-yard reception during his time with the Saints, and he ultimately saw more special teams snaps than offensive snaps. The Saints have been without Michael Thomas all season, and their leading receivers, Deonte Harris and Marquez Callaway, have combined for only 54 receptions. If White couldn’t break into the Saints’ depth chart, he’ll be hard pressed to find another team that’s willing to give him a shot.
Armah, a former sixth-round pick, spent the first four seasons of his career with the Panthers, appearing in 57 games. He joined the Saints this past offseason and ended up getting into nine games (two starts), collecting 22 yards and one touchdown in six touches. Practice squad player Adam Prentice is the only other fullback in the organization.
Giants Activate Logan Ryan, Place Darnay Holmes On IR
While the Giants are welcoming back one cornerback, another defensive back will be sidelined for the next few weeks. Paul Schwartz of the New York Post tweets that cornerback Darnay Holmes is heading to injured reserve. Meanwhile, the team will be activating veteran defensive back Logan Ryan from the reserve/COVID-19 list (via Schwartz on Twitter).
[RELATED: Giants QB Daniel Jones Week-To-Week With Neck Injury]
Holmes suffered a rib injury on Sunday that required an overnight stay at the hospital. Now, the 23-year-old will be forced to miss at least the next three Giants games. Holmes was a fourth-round pick by the Giants in 2020, and he started five of his 12 appearances as a rookie. The cornerback has started four of his 11 games this season, collecting 29 tackles, two passes defended, and one interception.
It’s been a few seasons since Ryan played cornerback, but the Giants will still welcome back their veteran safety with open arms. The 30-year-old has missed the past two games for New York, but he otherwise started each of the team’s first nine games. Ryan has collected 72 tackles and two forced fumbles this season.
The hits keep coming for the Giants. Earlier this evening, we learned that quarterback Daniel Jones was likely to be sidelined this weekend as he recovers from a neck strain.
Giants QB Daniel Jones Week-To-Week With Neck Injury
Daniel Jones‘ neck strain will likely force him to miss some time. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that the Giants quarterback is considered week-to-week and veteran Mike Glennon is expected to start on Sunday against the Dolphins. Ralph Vacchiano of SNY tweets that the starting QB’s status is uncertain, and his status will “depend on how he feels this week.”
Jones suffered the injury during the second play from scrimmage this past weekend against the Eagles. The quarterback ended up staying in the game and completing 19 of his 30 pass attempts for 202 yards and one touchdown (along with another 30 yards on the ground) in a Giants victory.
Jones missed games in each of his first two seasons in the NFL, and it’s bad timing for a struggling Giants offense that’s still managed to win three of their past five games. The former sixth-overall pick has seen some improvements during his junior season, holding a career-high mark in completion percentage (64.3) and a career-low mark in interception percentage.
Glennon stepped in for Jones when the starter exited the Giants’ Week 5 loss with a concussion. The 31-year-old completed 16 of his 25 pass attempts for 196 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. The journeyman started five games for the Jaguars last season, throwing seven touchdowns vs. five interceptions. The Giants added some depth to their QB room earlier today when they signed Jake Fromm off the Bills practice squad. New York also has QB Brian Lewerke stashed on their taxi squad.