NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/7/18
Today’s practice squad updates:
Detroit Lions
- Signed: CB Dee Virgin
- Released: S Rolan Milligan
Saints Sign Goodson, Cut Bromley
The Saints have signed free agent cornerback Demetri Goodson and released defensive tackle Jay Bromley, according to Adam Caplan of SiriusXM (Twitter link) and Josh Katzenstein of the Times-Picayune (Twitter link).
Bromley, a former third-round pick, served as a Giants depth cog for four seasons, playing in 55 games from 2014-17. He joined the Saints in May and released in September, but was brought back on Sept. 17. He’s out of work for now, but he could be back before long since the Saints have made a habit of add/dropping the same player throughout the season.
Goodson now joins the mix after a successful workout on Sept. 26. The cornerback has been on the workout circuit since missing the Packers’ final cut and will finally have an opportunity to showcase his skills this season. The 29-year-old hasn’t seen live action since November of 2016, but his next opportunity could come soon as the Saints are working with a banged up secondary.
The Saints also fortified their cornerback group this week by adding cornerback Josh Robinson.
Eagles Non-Committal On Timmy Jernigan’s Status
Eagles defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan is currently on the non-football injury list after undergoing back surgery in May, and Philadelphia head coach Doug Pederson was non-committal on Jernigan’s status when speaking with reporters earlier today.
“He’s doing well, he’s making progress,” Pederson said, via Mike Kaye of NJ.com. “He’s a guy we’ll just continue to monitor. I don’t want to put a cap on him, don’t want to limit him anyway and any other expectation other than him getting better and healthy at this time.”
While that’s a seemingly innocuous quote, Pederson failed to commit to Jernigan returning this season, according to Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). Per the NFL’s NFI rules, Jernigan must sit out for the Eagles’ first six games of the season. After that, Philadelphia will get a three-week window to decide whether Jernigan can return to practice, and another three-week window to activate him once he practices.
Jernigan was originally given a four-to-six month recovery timeline after having surgery, and he’s now entering the fifth month since that estimate. The operation affected Jernigan’s bottom line, as he agreed to a revised contract after undergoing the procedure. Jernigan had three years left on the four-year, $48MM extension he signed in 2017, but those seasons are now team option years with no guaranteed money.
With Jernigan sidelined, the Eagles have deployed Haloti Ngata (45% playtime) and Destiny Vaeao (32%) at defensive tackle alongside Fletcher Cox. The unit has held up well, ranking first in Football Outsiders‘ adjusted line yards and 13th in adjusted sack rate.
NFL Workout Updates: 10/3/18
Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account:
Detroit Lions
- DBs Kurtis Drummond, Steven Terrell, Jack Tocho, Damarius Travis (link)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- P Brock Miller (link)
New England Patriots
- LB Calvin Munson; DT David Parry (link)
New York Giants
- WR Quadree Henderson (link)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- QB Paxton Lynch; RBs Troymaine Pope; WRs Reggie Davis, DeAngelo Yancey; T Rick Leonard; DT Jamie Meder; LBs Zaire Anderson, Terence Garvin; Ss Marcelis Branch, Isaiah Johnson (link)
Tennessee Titans
- Gs Jordan Morgan, Landon Turner; T Justin Evans (link)
AFC Notes: Raiders, Fins, Bengals, Chargers
If Jon Gruden had his way, safety Derwin James would be patrolling the Raiders‘ defensive backfield instead of the Chargers’. Gruden today told reporters that he preferred to select James in the first round of this year’s draft, but Oakland had already used high picks on safeties — Karl Joseph and Obi Melifonwu — in recent years, per Eric Williams of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The Raiders ultimately used the 15th overall selection on UCLA offensive tackle Kolton Miller, who is now manning Derek Carr‘s blindside. James has emerged as an early Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate with his play in Los Angeles, but Gruden’s remarks can be interpreted as a subtle dig at Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie, who reportedly hasn’t meshed with Gruden.
Here’s more from the AFC:
- Dolphins safety Reshad Jones will be available for Week 5 after missing the previous two weeks with a shoulder injury, writes Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com. Jones was sidelined for Miami’s games against Oakland (win) and New England (loss), forcing rookie defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick to take over at safety opposite T.J. McDonald. With Jones’ return, Fitzpatrick will move back into his natural slot corner role. Jones, who entered the league as a Dolphins fifth-round pick in 2010, has been a full-time starter since his second season in the NFL. Last spring, he inked a long-term extension that should keep him in South Beach through 2021
- Rookie Bengals center Billy Price hasn’t suffered any setbacks since suffering a foot injury in Week 2, but he’s still expected to be in a walking boot for at least two more weeks, tweets Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. That means Price will miss games against the Dolphins and Steelers, and possibly more if his recovery timeline is extended. Cincinnati’s bye comes in Week 9, so the Bengals could potentially hold Price out through then if they want to be cautious. With Price out, the Bengals have turned to former starting guard Trey Hopkins to fill in at the pivot.
- Chargers linebacker Kyzir White underwent a minor knee operation on Monday and will miss Week 5, head coach Anthony Lynn told reporters, including Williams (Twitter link). White isn’t expected to miss much time, however, and should be back “sooner rather than later,” per Lynn. A fourth-round rookie out of West Virginia, White has started three games for Los Angeles this season, racking up 12 tackles in the process. Jatavis Brown should see more snaps in White’s absence.
NFC Notes: Packers, Falcons, 49ers, Lions
The Packers could potentially be without two starting receivers when they face the Lions on Sunday, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Randall Cobb is dealing with a hamstring injury and worked out with a rehab group during practice today, while Geronimo Allison is in the concussion protocol. If neither pass-catcher can go, Green Bay will be forced to turn to a pair of rookie receivers, Marques Valdez-Scantling and J’Mon Moore. Valdez-Scantling took over slot duties last week while Cobb was out, so he’d probably play there in three-wide sets against Detroit. For what it’s worth, No. 1 Packers wide receiver Davante Adams was listed as limited with a calf injury on Wednesday, but he’s expected to be ready for Sunday’s divisional matchup.
Here’s more from the NFC:
- Week 5 presents a good news/bad news situation for the Falcons, as running back Devonta Freeman is expected to return from a multi-game absence while defensive tackle Grady Jarrett will miss Sunday’s game against the Steelers with an ankle injury, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The 1-3 Falcons have scored plenty of points with Tevin Coleman filling in for Freeman, but the latter’s return will nonetheless add another dimension to an already potent offense. Jarrett, for his part, is one of the best players left on an Atlanta defense that has already lost safeties Ricardo Allen and Keanu Neal, plus linebacker Deion Jones, for the year. The Falcons rank as a bottom-six defense in yards allowed, scoring, and Football Outsiders’ DVOA.
- 49ers rookie wideout Dante Pettis has already been ruled out for San Francisco’s Week 5 contest against the Cardinals, reports Matt Barrows of The Athletic (Twitter link). Pettis, the 44th overall selection in this year’s draft, injured his knee on a punt return in Week 4. The Washington product produced nearly 100 receiving yards over the first two games of the season, but hasn’t caught a pass since. Fellow receiver Marquise Goodwin, who’s been hampered by a hamstring ailment all season, didn’t practice today and could also conceivably miss Sunday’s action, meaning Kendrick Bourne and Trent Taylor, among others, could be in for more looks.
- Even after fracturing his hand in Week 4, Lions safety Quandre Diggs practiced on Wednesday and should be available for Sunday, as Justin Rogers of the Detroit News writes. Diggs, who inked a three-year, $18.6MM extension last month, has played the second-most snaps of any Detroit defender this season. If Diggs unexpectedly can’t play against the Packers, Tavon Wilson would take over at strong safety.
Buccaneers Work Out RB Charcandrick West
The Buccaneers auditioned free agent running back Charcandrick West, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), but Tampa Bay didn’t sign him following the workout, tweets Greg Auman of The Athletic.
Tampa Bay is currently fielding one of the league’s worst rushing attacks, as the club ranks dead last in yards per attempt and 30th in Football Outsides’ rushing DVOA. Peyton Barber has handled the bulk of the carries for the Buccaneers, but he hasn’t topped 35 yards since Week 1. Rookie Ronald Jones was finally active in Week 4, and Jacquizz Rodgers has managed most of Tampa’s passin game work, but neither has been overly effective.
The Chiefs released West earlier this year, and although he subsequently latched on with the Jets, he lasted less than a month in New York before getting cut again. The 27-year-old West’s most productive campaign came in 2015, when he managed 160 carries for 634 yards and four touchdowns, but his rushing role with Kansas City had been greatly reduced in recent seasons. While he played more than 500 offensive snaps from 2016-17, West handled only 106 total carries, including just 18 last year.
West has seen more action in the receiving game, as he’s posted at least 20 receptions in three consecutive seasons. However, he hasn’t been very efficient with his touches, as he finished 57th among 62 running backs in FO’s receiving DVOA.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/3/18
Today’s minor moves:
Detroit Lions
- Signed: OL Andrew Donnal
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted to active roster: TE Erik Swoope
- Waived: TE Mo Alie-Cox
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted from practice squad: TE Darrell Daniels
East Rumors: Cowboys, Giants, Fins, Pats
Tony Romo was never going to play for a club other than the Cowboys before retiring last spring, owner Jerry Jones told reporters, including Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link). At one point, teams such as the Broncos and Texans discussed a trade for Romo, but ultimately decided to wait and see if he was released by Dallas. Romo also later admitted that he considered the Jets before hanging up his cleats, but it sounds as though it was Cowboys-or-bust for the veteran signal-caller. Indeed, at least one report last fall indicated Romo would only come out of retirement to play for the Cowboys, but Dak Prescott never suffered any injury that forced Dallas to call its longtime quarterback.
Here’s more from the NFL’s two East divisions:
- Running back Jonathan Stewart is now on injured reserve after suffering a foot injury, but the veteran could conceivably return to the Giants this season, tweets Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. New York head coach Pat Shurmur said Stewart will be sidelined for eight weeks, the exact amount of time he’d be forced to miss due to the NFL’s IR/return rules. Stewart, who signed a two-year, $6.9MM deal with the Giants earlier this year, had received just six carries in three games, amassing only 17 rushing yards for his new team. With Stewart, New York will use Wayne Gallman as the top backup to Saquon Barkley.
- The Dolphins attempted to trade defensive tackle Jordan Phillips before cutting him earlier today, reports Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The news isn’t all that surprising, as most clubs try to deal players before releasing them and receiving no value. However, Phillips has never lived up to his second-round draft status and also had a sideline disagreement with Miami coaches on Sunday, so the trade market for his services wasn’t large. Though four games, Phillips saw action on 124 defensive snaps. He had a season-high 46 snaps in Week 3 against the Raiders, but his usage dropped back down to 25 snaps in Sunday’s blowout loss to the Pats.
- The Patriots will need to make a roster move before activating Julian Edelman off suspension this week, leading Doug Kyed of NESN to look at candidates to be moved off New England’s active roster. The two most obvious players who could be cut are offensive lineman Cole Croston and defensive end Keionta Davis, both of whom were healthy scratches on Sunday. Elsewhere on the roster, defender Geneo Grissom would likely pass through waivers, so the Patriots could waive him and hope to bring him back to their practice squad.
- With their 2018 campaign looking like a lost cause, the Bills should consider trade offers for running back LeSean McCoy and wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin, argues Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. McCoy, of course, still has an investigation hanging over his head, so it’s unclear if there’d be any market for him. Benjamin, meanwhile, hasn’t been effective since joining Buffalo in 2017, and has posted just seven catches in through four games this year. McCoy is signed through 2019, while Benjamin’s contract expires next spring.
NFL Workout Updates: 10/2/18
Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran Howard Balzer’s Twitter account unless otherwise noted:
Arizona Cardinals
- WR Jordan Leslie (link via Adam Caplan of SiriusXM)
Atlanta Falcons
Cleveland Browns
- LB Junior Sylvestre (link); CBs Sterling Moore, Josh Robinson; K Daniel Carlson, Miles Bergner (link via Caplan)
Denver Broncos
- P Brock Miller (link)
Detroit Lions
- RB Akeem Hunt; C Jake Eldrenkamp; Ts Antonio Garcia, De’Ondre Wesley; G Landon Turner (link)
Green Bay Packers
- LBs Josh Carraway, Aaron Wallace (link via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com)
Houston Texans
Jacksonville Jaguars
- RBs Matthew Dayes, Orleans Darkwa (link via Caplan)
Los Angeles Chargers
- LBs Jonathan Celestin, Tre’von Johnson; P Shane Tripucka; LS Taybor Pepper (link)
Los Angeles Rams
- LB Anthony Winbush; DBs Xavier Coleman, Ranthony Texada; K Kai Forbath
Miami Dolphins
- Gs Austin Davis, J.J. Dielman; Cs Dillon Day, T.J. Johnson, Jon Toth; T Gerhard de Beer; DTs Xavier Cooper, Will Sutton (link)
Minnesota Vikings
- DE Terrence Fede; LB Tyrone Holmes (link)
New England Patriots
- T Andrew Nelson (link)
New Orleans Saints
- G/T Oday Aboushi; Ts Chaz Green, Austin Howard; Gs Jordan Morgan, Isaiah Williams; CBs De’Vante Bausby, Jeremy Boykins, Byron Maxwell (link)
New York Jets
Oakland Raiders
- DEs Damontre Moore, Jacquies Smith; LBs Travis Feeney, Edmond Robinson; K Nick Novak (link via Caplan)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- CB Herb Waters (link)
Seattle Seahawks
- WR Keon Hatcher; DE Hau’oli Kikaha; LB Chris Odom; CB Kalan Reed; Ss Maurice Alexander, Eddie Pleasant, Jeremy Reaves (link)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- CB Josh Shaw; S A.J. Howard (link)
Tennessee Titans
- QB Garrett Gilbert; WRs Aaron Burbridge, Reggie Davis, Damoun Patterson; LB Antwione Williams (link)