Packers Release CB Quinton Dunbar From Practice Squad
Quinton Dunbar‘s stint with the Packers has already come to an end. Green Bay released the veteran cornerback from their practice squad today, reports NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter).
With Jaire Alexander sitting on injured reserve, Dunbar was expected to provide the Packers with some reinforcement at cornerback. Ultimately, his stint with the organization only lasted one week; after getting signed last Tuesday, he earned his walking papers today.
Dunbar joined the Cardinals practice squad late last month, but the team cut him only a week later. Prior to that, the defensive back had spent the offseason with the Lions and later got a workout with the Bills. Now, he’ll be getting his third contract of the league year from Green Bay.
Two years ago, Dunbar broke out with Washington via a four-interception season that ended with the former UDFA allowing just a 61.2 passer rating while targeted. Washington’s new regime traded Dunbar to Seattle in 2020, and an injury ended a less successful season after six games. The six-year veteran will now look to bounce back in Green Bay.
Ravens Sign RB Le’Veon Bell To Active Roster
Le’Veon Bell will no longer have to deal with the taxi squad. The Ravens have signed the veteran running back to their 53-man roster, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter).
Bell joined Baltimore’s practice squad in early September, and he’s been promoted to the active roster a handful of times. The 29-year-old has gotten into two games this season, collecting 12 touches for 29 yards and one touchdown. He’s seen time on 42 offensive snaps.
Since sitting out the 2018 season due to a contract dispute, Bell has had issues holding a job, much less matching his All-Pro production. He surpassed 1,000 all-purpose yards with the Jets in 2019, but he was limited to only 466 yards in 2020 as he split the season with New York and Kansas City.
With J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards and Justice Hill all dealing with seasons-ending injuries, the Ravens brought in Bell for some extra depth. Even though he now has an official spot on the active roster, he’ll still find himself behind the likes of Latavius Murray, Devonta Freeman, and Ty’Son Williams on the depth chart.
Ravens Add OL James Carpenter To Practice Squad
James Carpenter had landed his next gig. The veteran offensive guard is signing with the Ravens, reports NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter). Carpenter will initially be joining Baltimore’s practice squad, but he’ll presumably join the active roster once he’s ready to go.
Carpenter came into the league as a tackle when he was drafted in the first-round by the Seahawks way back in 2011, but he was quickly switched to guard. He started 13 games for Atlanta this past season, and 11 the year before. The Alabama product spent his first four years in Seattle, then signed a four-year deal with the Jets in 2015.
He completed that deal and started all 16 games for New York in three of those seasons. He signed a four-year, $21MM deal with Atlanta in 2019, but only made it halfway through that pact before he was cut but the team back in March. The 32-year-old had remained a free agent since that time.
The Ravens’ offensive line had one of their best games of the season yesterday against the Chargers. While Lamar Jackson was sacked three times, Baltimore still managed to rush for 187 yards and three touchdowns. Still, that hasn’t stopped the front office from adding to the offensive line. Earlier today, the Ravens claimed offensive tackle Brandon Knight off waivers from the Cowboys.
Teams Monitoring Availability Of Buccaneers RB Ronald Jones
A number of teams are dealing with injuries at running back, and they’re looking toward the defending Super Bowl champs for reinforcement. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that teams are monitoring Buccaneers running back Ronald Jones.
It would make sense for teams to assume that Jones is available. Leonard Fournette has taken control of the lead back role, while offseason addition Giovani Bernard continues to dominate passing downs. As a result, Jones has averaged about 12 snaps per game over the past four contests.
However, Pelissero notes that there’s still a question of whether the Bucs would even let go of the former second-round pick. While Jones has seen limited snaps, he is still playing, collecting 23 touches in those aforementioned four games. Plus, he provides the Buccaneers was some insurance in case Fournette or Bernand suffer an injury.
Jones had a career year in 2020, finishing with 1,143 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns. He added another 139 rushing yards in three postseason games. The 24-year-old is set to hit free agency following the 2021 season.
Texans To Cut Andre Roberts
The Texans continue to clear veterans from their roster, and Andre Roberts is the next player to earn their walking papers. The former Pro Bowler will be released by the Texans, reports Aaron Wilson (via Twitter).
[RELATED: Texans To Release DE Whitney Mercilus]
Roberts joined the Texans on a two-year deal this past offseason. He’s seen time in all six games but has barely seen time on offense, collecting a single reception on 26 snaps. However, he’s continued to play a major role in the return game, returning eight punts for 33 yards and 18 kicks for 386 yards.
Roberts has established himself as a journeyman, but that hasn’t stopped him from earning Pro Bowl nods each season between 2018 and 2020. He led the NFL with 1,174 kick return yards with the Jets in 2018, and he followed that up with two impressive campaigns with the Bills. Roberts has also played with the Cardinals, Washington, Lions, and Falcons.
Houston continues to look at younger options as the pivot toward the future, meaning the 33-year-old Roberts was no longer in the team’s plans. Now, the veteran will have a chance to catch on with a contender that could use some special teams reinforcement.
Ravens OL Ronnie Stanley Nearing Return?
Ronnie Stanley could be back with the Ravens sooner than later. Head coach John Harbaugh acknowledged today that the team and the offensive line are nearing a resolution regarding the player’s return.
“I think we’re nearing one but i don’t have anything to announce at this time,” Harbaugh said (via ESPN’s Jamison Hensley on Twitter).
Stanley appeared in 100 percent of his team’s offensive snaps in Week 1, but he’s been sidelined the past five games with an ankle injury. We heard in late September that the offensive lineman could be back in a matter of weeks after avoiding ankle surgery, but there hasn’t been an update since.
Stanley was outstanding in 2019, his last healthy year, earning First-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors. Since then, he’s played in a total of seven regular season games (six last year, one this year). In Stanley’s stead, the Ravens will continue to deploy Alejandro Villanueva at left tackle with Patrick Mekari manning the right side.
Texans To Release DE Whitney Mercilus
s the Texans continue to pivot toward a youth movement, the team is letting go of one of their longest-tenured player. Houston is releasing veteran defensive end Whitney Mercilus, reports Aaron Wilson (via Twitter).
Mercilus has seen a reduced role in recent weeks, but the 31-year-old has still put up solid numbers despite the part-time role, compiling 12 tackles, three sacks, four tackles for loss, and three QB hits. The Texans have recently pivoted to Jon Greenard and Jacob Martin at defensive end, sending Mercilus to a backup role.
The defensive end had spent his entire nine-plus-year career in Houston, starting 102 of his 132 games. He ranks second in franchise history (behind J.J. Watt) in a number of statistics, including sacks (57), forced fumbles (13), tackles for loss (72), and QB hits (115).
Mercilus inked a four-year extension with the Texans in 2019, but thanks to an offseason restructuring, he was set to hit free agent following the 2021 campaign. He’ll now hit free agency a bit earlier than that, but it probably won’t take long before the veteran finds his next gig.
Panthers Place RB Christian McCaffrey On IR
Christian McCaffrey is set to miss at least three more games. The Panthers announced today (via Twitter) that they’ve placed their star running back on injured reserve.
This is a tough blow for the Panthers. McCaffrey hasn’t played since he exited his Week 3 contest with a hamstring injury. The Panthers’ initial decision to not place their starting RB on injured reserve provided some optimism that the player would be back sooner than later. Considering the three-week IR requirement, some even assumed the 25-year-old would be back on the field this weekend considering he’s already missed two games.
Alas, we found out yesterday that McCaffrey wouldn’t play tomorrow against the Vikings. Now, thanks to today’s move, the versatile offensive weapon won’t see the field until at least the team’s matchup against the Patriots on November 7.
Following a historic 2019 campaign that saw him finish with 2,392 yards from scrimmage and 19 touchdowns, the Panthers made McCaffrey the highest-paid RB in the NFL when they gave him a four-year, $64MM deal. However, the RB was limited to only three games last season, and he completed only two games in 2021 before suffering another injury. Through two-plus games this year, McCaffrey has collected 364 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown on 68 carries.
With McCaffrey still out of the lineup, the team will continue relying on rookie fourth-round pick Chuba Hubbard as their top running back. The fill-in had the best game of his rookie campaign in Week 5, finishing with 134 yards from scrimmage.
The Panthers made a handful of additional moves today, including placing rookie offensive lineman Deonte Brown on IR. The team also signed guard Michael Jordan to the active roster, and they promoted punter Ryan Winslow and running back Spencer Brown from the taxi squad.
Colts Activate WR T.Y. Hilton, Place K Rodrigo Blankenship On IR
T.Y. Hilton is set to make his 2021 debut tomorrow against the Texans. The veteran wideout has officially been activated from injured reserve, reports Aaron Wilson (via Twitter). The team also placed kicker Rodrigo Blankenship on IR and promoted kicker Michael Badgley and safety Jordan Lucas from the practice squad.
The Colts placed Hilton on IR before Week 1, and he underwent surgery after suffering a neck injury in practice. The 31-year-old returned to practice earlier this week, an indication that he was close to returning to the field. The veteran hasn’t had a 1,000-yard season since 2018, but he’ll still provide Carson Wentz with a reliable target. Hilton finished the 2020 campaign with 56 receptions for 762 yards and five touchdowns in 15 games.
Blankenship’s hip pain played a major factor in the Colts blowing a 19-point lead Monday night, as the second-year kicker missed an extra point and two field goals in an Indianapolis overtime loss. Ultimately, that injury will land Blankenship on IR, and the team will turn to their recent practice squad acquisition. Badgley is best known for his three-year Chargers stint, as the Money Badger kicked in 34 games for the Bolts from 2018-20. He made 94% of his field goal attempts as a rookie but connected on less than 73% of his tries in 16 games last season. The Titans cut Badgley after he missed a field goal and an extra point in Week 1.
Lucas joined the Colts practice squad in late September. The defensive back opted out of the 2020 campaign, but he previously appeared in 30 games for the Chiefs between the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
Dolphins Activate QB Tua Tagovailoa Off IR
Tua Tagovailoa is officially back. The Dolphins have activated the quarterback off injured reserve. While Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com observes that Tagovailoa is listed as questionable, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets that the QB will start tomorrow in London.
Tua hasn’t played since suffering a rib injury during Miami’s Week 2 loss to the Bills. He was placed on IR in late September, and he was designated to return from IR earlier this week. While the QB got a week of practice under his belt, it was still uncertain if the organization would fly the former first-round pick across the Atlantic Ocean in order to play the winless Jaguars in London tomorrow. Ultimately, it sounds like Tagovailoa will be under center for his squad at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The former fifth-overall pick started nine of his 10 games last season, completing 64.1-percent of his passes for 1,814 yards, 11 touchdowns, and only five interceptions. He also added another 109 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. He threw a touchdown and rushed for another during the Dolphins’ Week 1 victory over the Patriots, and he completed one of his four pass attempts in Week 2 before exiting.
Jacoby Brissett has been filling in as the starting QB in Tua’s absence, throwing four touchdowns in three starts.
The Dolphins made two additional moves this morning, promoting wideouts Isaiah Ford and Kirk Merritt from the practice squad.