HEADLINES

Author: Dallas Robinson

Designated To Return: Broncos, Lions, Titans

October 30th, 2019 at 9:38pm CST by Dallas Robinson

With roughly half of the 2019 campaign in the books, NFL clubs have started to exercise their right to return players from injured reserve. Each team is allowed to bring two players back from IR, but said players must have been retained on their respective club’s initial 53-man roster. Once an IR player returns to practice, his club will have three weeks to decide whether to activate him to their 53-man roster; if he’s not activated, the player will remain on injured reserve for the remainder of the season.

Here are three players who have been designated to return from IR this week:

  • Broncos wide receiver Tim Patrick has returned to practice and has been designated to return, as Mike Klis of 9News tweets. A 2017 undrafted free agent, Patrick suffered a broken hand in Week 1 of the 2019 campaign but is now ready for action. Patrick broke out in the final month of last season, posting 19 receptions for 242 yards during the last quarter of the campaign. When he returns to game action, Patrick could see a significant role in a now Emmanuel Sanders-less receiving corps.
  • The Lions have designated defensive end Austin Bryant to return from IR, and he practiced Wednesday, the club announced today. Bryant was selected in the fourth round of the 2019 draft, so he’s yet to play an NFL snap. During his final two seasons at Clemson, Bryant posted 17 sacks and 30.5 tackles for loss. If activated, Bryant could help a Detroit defensive line that currently ranks bottom-seven in both adjusted line yards and adjusted sack rate, per Football Outsiders.
  • Defensive back Josh Kalu has been designated to return from IR by the Titans, per Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com (Twitter link). An undrafted free agent out of Nebraska in 2018, Kalu spent most of last year on Tennessee’s practice squad before being promoted in December. He played in five games and saw action on 48 special teams snaps.

More NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/30/19

October 30th, 2019 at 9:20pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s practice squad updates:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

  • Signed: LB James Vaughters
  • Placed on injured list: LB Fadol Brown

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Signed: TE Codey McElroy

Tennessee Titans

Washington Redskins

Redskins Plan To Trade Trent Williams This Offseason?

October 30th, 2019 at 8:37pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Redskins ultimately held on to offensive tackle Trent Williams at the trade deadline, but the club is hoping to deal the veteran lineman this offseason, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Washington reportedly received a second-round offer from the Browns, but weren’t interested in moving Williams at that price. Instead, the team will carry Williams on its roster and attempt to trade him next February or March. At that point, Williams would have one year and $12.5MM in salary remaining on his contract.

The saga doesn’t simply end there, however. Williams failed his physical today after experiencing discomfort while putting on his helmet, and if the Redskins aren’t able to find a suitable helmet over the next few weeks, they will likely place Williams on the non-football injury list, ending his 2019 campaign before it begins, per Rapoport (Twitter link).

Williams, of course, underwent scalp surgery in April and had a benign growth removed. Even if Williams is placed on the NFI list, his contract will not toll, per RapSheet, although the Redskins could certainly be up for a legal challenge.

NFL Workout Updates: 10/30/19

October 30th, 2019 at 8:01pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s workout updates, all courtesy of Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle:

Buffalo Bills

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

  • P Austin Barnard

New England Patriots

Oakland Raiders

Raiders C Rodney Hudson To Miss Time

October 30th, 2019 at 6:59pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Raiders center Rodney Hudson is expected to miss time while dealing with an ankle injury, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Hudson isn’t the only Oakland center sidelined by an ankle issue — backup Andre James is also battling a sprain, and he too could miss the Raiders’ Week 9 game against the Raiders. If neither Hudson nor James can play on Sunday, veteran left guard Richie Incognito will likely slide to center and play the pivot for the first time since 2010, tweets Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area. Fellow center Erik Magnuson, signed earlier today, may also be in contention to start in the middle of Oakland’s front five.

Hudson isn’t going on injured reserve, an indication the Raiders don’t believe his injury to be a long-term issue. But there’s no question the veteran center’s presence will be missed for however long he remains sidelined. Oakland, which has a 21% chance of earning a postseason berth per FiveThirtyEight.com, already had its bye in Week 6, so there’s no free week for Hudson to get healthy late in the season.

Midway through his ninth NFL campaign (and fifth in Oakland), Hudson is still playing like one of the NFL’s best centers. Through seven starts, Hudson grades as the league’s third-best pivot, per Pro Football Focus, which ranks Hudson as the NFL’s No. 2 pass-blocking center behind only Cleveland’s J.C. Tretter. As a unit, the Raiders’ offensive line ranks top-four in both pass-blocking and run-blocking, according to Football Outsiders‘ adjusted yards metrics.

More Minor NFL Transactions: 10/30/19

October 30th, 2019 at 6:07pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s minor moves:

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

  • Claimed off waivers (Giants): LB Tae Davis

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Promoted from practice squad: CB Tevaughn Campbell

Miami Dolphins

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Redskins

Seahawks Place Tedric Thompson On IR

October 30th, 2019 at 5:35pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Seahawks have placed safety Tedric Thompson on injured reserve with a shoulder injury, the club announced today. Veteran linebacker/defensive end Dekoda Watson has been signed to take Thompson’s spot on Seattle’s roster. Additionally, the Seahawks have designated tight end Ed Dickson to return from IR.

Thompson, a fourth-round pick in 2017, became a full-time starter last season and had started all six games for Seattle this year. While he’d posted two interceptions, Thompson had graded as a bottom-five safety league-wide, per Pro Football Focus. With trade acquisition Quandre Diggs dealing with a hamstring injury, rookie safety Marquise Blair is likely to start his third consecutive contest opposite Bradley McDougald, per Brady Henderson of ESPN.com.

Dickson, meanwhile, was originally slated to miss four-to-five weeks after undergoing knee surgery in early August, but he’s clearly well past that timeline. While he has returned to practice, Dickson is not expected to play in Week 9, as Pete Carroll indicated earlier this week. With fellow tight end Will Dissly already on injured reserve, Dickson could be in for immediate action as soon as he’s able to get back on the field.

NFC East Notes: Giants, Solder, Jenkins, Redskins

October 23rd, 2019 at 9:16pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Stonewalled by the Redskins in Trent Williams talks, the Browns reportedly have interest in acquiring left tackle Nate Solder from the Giants. Solder, however, doesn’t seem to have any interest in leaving New York — not that he’d necessarily have any say in the matter. “I love being here, I love this group of guys and I love this team,” Solder said when asked about the trade rumors, per Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. Solder signed a four-year, $62MM deal with the Giants just last year, but given Big Blue’s 2-5 record, they could conceivably be open to moving the veteran. Cleveland, for its part, seems intent in trading for an offensive tackle before next week’s deadline and has reportedly contacted other NFC East clubs.

Here’s more from the NFC East:

  • Speaking of Giants who could be on the move in the next week, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY spoke with NFL scouts and executives about what certain New York players could be worth via trade. By all accounts, cornerback Janoris Jenkins is the most likely Giant to be dealt, and Vacchiano speculates the veteran defensive back could reap a third- or fourth-round pick. Linebacker Alec Ogletree, wide receiver Golden Tate, and even tight end Evan Engram could all be candidates to be traded if New York decides to embark on a full rebuild.
  • Adrian Peterson is hoping to face his former team when the Redskins go up against the Vikings on Thursday night football, but he’s currently wearing the “questionable” label for Week 8, as John Keim of ESPN.com tweets. The veteran running back suffered multiple ankle sprains against the 49ers on Sunday, but he told Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that he feels “good” and wants to play. Peterson, who’s posted 307 yards on 83 carries this year, was a limited participant at Wednesday’s practice session.
  • Giants wideout Sterling Shepard put in a limited practice today, per Vacchiano (Twitter link). Still, it’s unclear whether he’ll be ready to go when New York faces Detroit on Sunday. Shepard hasn’t played since Week 5 after suffering a concussion, and he’s actually suffered two brain injuries already this year. Given that the Giants aren’t contenders, they may continue to hold Shepard out with his long-term health in mind.

Latest On Chris Harris, Bryce Callahan

October 23rd, 2019 at 8:12pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Broncos have already verified their status as trade deadline sellers by moving wideout Emmanuel Sanders to the 49ers, but another veteran member of Denver’s roster may not be going anywhere. While the Broncos “almost” found a trade partner for cornerback Chris Harris, the club now believes it will not be dealing the star defensive back, according to Dianna Russini of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Meanwhile, Harris himself tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that he “doubts” he’ll be traded.

Harris has been primarily linked to the Eagles thus far. After failing to acquire Jalen Ramsey from the Jaguars despite offering a first- and second-round pick, Philadelphia reportedly turned its attention to Harris. The Texans, too, have apparently inquired on Harris, but haven’t been amenable to meeting Denver’s asking price.

Cornernback trades have been abundant in recent weeks, setting a market for a potential Harris deal. Ramsey eventually went to the Rams for two first-round picks and a fourth-round selection, and Los Angeles quickly traded one if its defensive backs — the mercurial Marcus Peters — to the Ravens for a fifth-rounder plus linebacker Kenny Young. The Texans joined the fray earlier this week, shipping a third-round choice to the Raiders in exchange for Gareon Conley.

While Harris’ status is up in the air, we do have more clarity on fellow Broncos corner Bryce Callahan. A free agent addition this offseason, Callahan hasn’t played a single game for Denver after sustaining a foot injury over the summer. Originally slated to miss four-to-six weeks after undergoing surgery in late September, Callahan has since undergone stem cell treatment and may not return during the 2019 campaign, tweets Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic.

NFL Workout Updates: 10/23/19

October 23rd, 2019 at 7:09pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s workout updates:

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

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