Texans Trading RB Mark Ingram To Saints
Mark Ingram is heading back to where his NFL career started. The Texans are trading the veteran running back to the Saints, reports NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter). Terms of the deal are still being finalized, but Pelissero tweets that it’s expected to “involve late-round future picks.”
Ingram was a first-round pick by the Saints back in 2011, and he proceeded to spend the first eight seasons of his career in New Orleans. He saw time in 106 regular season games (63 starts) during his first stint with the organization, collecting 55 total touchdowns. During his final two years in New Orleans, Ingram formed one of the league’s best running back tandems with Alvin Kamara, something the duo will be looking to recreate for a second time.
Ingram inked a three-year deal with the Ravens in 2019 but only made it through two seasons with the organization. He caught on with the Texans this past offseason and proceeded to start each of their first seven games, collecting 318 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown.
The Saints have been looking for a running back that could help to lessen their starter’s workload. Kamara is currently averaging 19 rushing attempts per game, which is a significant jump from the 11.2 attempts per game he averaged through his first four seasons in the NFL. Ingram should slide right into that second spot on the RB depth chart, and he’ll push the likes of Dwayne Washington, Devine Ozigbo, Tony Jones Jr. (who’s on injured reserve), and practice squad backs Lamar Miller and Ryquell Armstead further down the pecking order.
The 1-6 Texans are beginning their fire sale, so it’s not a surprise that they’ve decided to move on from their 31-year-old starting running back. Of course, the team’s depth chart at the position still consists of veterans, including David Johnson and Rex Burkhead.
Panthers Place OL John Miller On IR
The Panthers offense keeps taking hits. The team is placing starting right guard John Miller on injured reserve, reports ESPN’s David Newton (via Twitter).
Miller was limited to only 39 snaps during Sunday’s loss to the Giants before suffering an ankle injury. The ailment will now knock the 28-year-old out of the lineup for at least the next three games.
After starting 14 games for the Panthers in 2020, Miller re-signed with Carolina this past offseason. After missing Week 1, the lineman started each of the Panthers’ next six games. The former third-round pick spent the first four seasons of his career with the Bills before starting 13 games for the Bengals in 2019.
The Panthers also swapped punters today, waiving Ryan Winslow and adding Lac Edwards to the practice squad. Per Newton (on Twitter), Edwards is expected to be promoted for Sunday’s game against the Falcons. Winslow was filling in for Joseph Charlton, who is currently sitting on IR. The 27-year-old saw time in Week 6 and Week 7 for the Panthers, averaging 38.6 yards on his 13 punts. Edwards served as the Jets punter from 2016 through 2019, and he led the NFL in punts and punting yards during his final season in New York.
Lions Release CB Daryl Worley
Daryl Worley had a rough game on Sunday against the Rams, and the performance likely contributed to him losing his job today. The Lions have released the veteran cornerback, reports Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter).
Worley got burned on a 59-yard pass from Matthew Stafford to Cooper Kupp at the end of the third quarter, and he gave up the subsequent touchdown (from Stafford to Kupp) that proved to be the game-winning score.
The 26-year-old joined Detroit’s practice squad back in September, and he ended up appearing in three games for the Lions, collecting two tackles. Worley saw time on 17 defensive snaps this past weekend. There’s still a chance the cornerback lands back on Detroit’s practice squad, but in that case, his performance on Sunday likely buried him deeper on the depth chart.
Worley has spent time with a number of teams since being selected in the third round of the 2016 draft. Since spending his first two seasons with the Panthers, the defensive back has had stints with the Eagles, Raiders, Cowboys, Bills, Raiders (again), Cardinals, and Lions. He started 15 games for the Raiders in 2019, and he started five of his 10 appearances in 2020 while playing for Dallas, Buffalo, and Las Vegas.
Steelers HC Mike Tomlin Denies NCAA Speculation
Despite some speculation from talking heads that Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin could leave Pittsburgh for the NCAA, the head coach made it abundantly clear today that he has no interest in pivoting to college football.
“Hey guys, I don’t have time for that speculation,” Tomlin said when asked about the rumblings. “That’s a joke to me. I have one of the best jobs in all professional sports. Why would I have any interests in coaching college football? That will be the last time I address that and not only today but moving forward. Never say never — but never. OK? Anybody else have any questions about college jobs? There is not a booster with a big enough blank check.”
Mark Kaboly of The Athletic provides a great explanation of how we even got to this point. A handful of pundits had previously connected Tomlin to jobs at USC and LSU, and Kaboly opines that the whole story was a “media creation.”
As Kaboly writes, Tomlin’s connection to neither the USC job nor the LSU job made a whole lot of sense. He has no connection to the schools, he’d be taking a proverbial step back in terms of job status, and the salary improvement would be insignificant. However, even if there was no truth to the “rumors,” those whispers got loud enough to warrant a question at a press conference.
Tomlin has spent 14 years in Pittsburgh, making nine playoffs and winning one Super Bowl.
Jets Owner Endorses GM Joe Douglas, HC Robert Saleh
The Jets hit another low this past Sunday. Not only did they get blown out by their divisional rival, but they also lost rookie quarterback Zach Wilson for the next few weeks. While no one in New York is happy with the team’s 1-5 record, owner Woody Johnson told reporters that he continues to have faith in general manager Joe Douglas and coach Robert Saleh.
“I’ve been around for, this is going on 22 years, with my little absence that I had recently, and this is a good group,” Johnson said (via ESPN’s Rich Cimini). “We will get it right. Last week, you know, [was] frustrating, but now we turn the page and we’re off to the Bengals.”
The Jets have struggled during Douglas’s two-plus seasons in New York, but he’s also put together the league’s youngest roster and has a clear vision for the future. This is Saleh’s first season at the helm, and even if the Jets finish with one of the worst records in the league, there’s practically no chance the team moves on from their head coach.
“Just talking to the leadership — Joe, Robert, and seeing how their plans are put together,” Johnson said. “How they’re deep thinkers, they want to do things like establish a culture and they’re getting the right players in the right positions.
“It’s just a very young team with a young quarterback. He’s 22 years old, he just turned 22. So he’s seeing things for the first time like a lot of the quarterbacks now, a lot of the young quarterbacks. It’s going to take him a little bit of time, but I have a lot of confidence in Zach, too.”
Dolphins To Place Jason McCourty, Malcolm Brown On IR
The Dolphins are placing two of their offseason additions on IR. Head coach Brian Flores told reporters that defensive back Jason McCourty and running back Malcolm Brown are heading to injured reserve.
Both players were injured during yesterday’s loss to the Falcons. McCourty suffered a foot injury that could require surgery, meaning he could be out longer than three weeks. Brown suffered a quad injury that forced him to exit the game.
After spending three seasons with the Patriots, McCourty joined the Dolphins this offseason. He started the first four games for Miami, but he’s seen a reduced role in recent weeks, appearing in only 69 defensive snaps between Week 5 and Week 7 (for comparison’s sake, he saw time in 70 defensive snaps in Week 4). Through seven games, the 34-year-old has collected 21 tackles and two passes defended. The Dolphins somewhat started planning for McCourty’s absence when they signed safety Sheldrick Redwine off the Panthers’ practice squad today.
Brown joined the Dolphins this offseason after spending the first six seasons of his career with the Rams. The 28-year-old got into the first seven games for Miami (including three starts), collecting 135 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown on 36 touches. The Dolphins will continue rolling with Myles Gaskin atop the depth chart, but Salvon Ahmed could see a larger role while Brown is sidelined.
Seahawks Release OL Cedric Ogbuehi
Cedric Ogbuehi‘s stint with the Seahawks has come to an end. Earlier today, Seattle released the veteran offensive tackle, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo (via Twitter).
The former first-round pick dealt with a biceps injury that forced him to miss the first chunk of the season. He was activated from IR when first eligible, and he started Week 4 while playing 86 percent of his team’s offensive snaps. He hasn’t seen the field since that time, and Seattle ultimately decided to move on from the 29-year-old.
Ogbuehi played just eight games with Seattle in 2020, starting four, but he did just enough to return to the Seahawks — his third NFL team. The Bengals drafted Ogbuehi in 2015, but after not meeting expectations, the Texas A&M product had to settle for a low-cost Jaguars deal in 2019 before coming to Seattle.
With 58 games (30 starts) on his resume, Ogbuehi will likely catch on with a squad that needs some extra depth on their offensive line.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/25/21
Today’s practice squad moves:
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: C Hroniss Grasu
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix
New York Giants
- Signed: TE Jake Hausmann
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: S Tony Jefferson
Seahawks Activate RB Rashaad Penny
Rashaad Penny is officially back. The Seahawks activated the running back from injured reserve ahead of tonight’s game against the Saints, reports Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus (via Twitter).
A hamstring injury limited Penny to only one game this season, but he should have an opportunity to contribute on Monday night. With Chris Carson sidelined, Penny will join a running back grouping that includes Alex Collins, DeeJay Dallas, and Travis Homer. Collins is expected to lead the depth chart, but Penny should get some action in what’s expected to be a rain-soaked game.
Penny has dealt with his fair share of injuries since he was selected in the first round of the 2018 draft. The running back has been limited to only 28 games through four seasons, and he sat out the majority of the 2020 campaign while recovering from a torn ACL. Through his first two seasons in the NFL, Penny collected 947 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns on 167 touches.
Prior to the season, the Seahawks declined the 25-year-old fifth-year option, meaning he’ll be a free agent following the 2021 campaign.
Saints Shuffle Roster, Activate Three Players From IR
The Saints are welcoming back three players for tonight’s game against the Seahawks. Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports (via Twitter) that New Orleans is activating linebacker Kwon Alexander, defensive end Marcus Davenport, and wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith from IR. The three players returned to practice last week, and they’ll all be eligible to play tonight.
The Saints also promoted wideout Kevin White from the practice squad. To make room on the roster, the team released center Will Clapp and defensive tackle Albert Huggins (via Underhill on Twitter).
Alexander (elbow) and Davenport (shoulder) were both placed on IR in mid-September, while Smith (hamstring) landed on IR a bit earlier than that. The Saints moved Davenport back into their starting lineup to start this season, and he registered a sack and two QB hits in the Saints’ dominant Week 1 win over the Packers. Alexander worked his way back from a December Achilles tear to be ready in time for the Saints’ opener, but this latest injury continued a rough run of health for the former Buccaneers standout. Smith’s injury dogged him for several weeks, as he tried and failed to come back from it twice. It caused the former third-round pick to miss extensive training camp time.
White joined the Saints back in August, and he later landed on the team’s practice squad. The former first-round pick got into three games with the 49ers in 2020, but he only saw nine snaps on offense. Clapp was a seventh-round pick by the Saints in 2018, and he got into 27 games (four starts) through three-plus seasons with the team. Huggins has bounced around the NFL since going undrafted in 2019. He saw time in four games (one start) for the Saints this season, collecting seven tackles and two QB hits.