Florida State DE Jared Verse Declares For NFL Draft
He took the long route to get here, but Florida State star pass rusher Jared Verse has officially announced that he will enter the 2024 NFL Draft, opting out of the Seminoles’ Orange Bowl matchup with the Georgia Bulldogs, per ESPN’s Andrea Adelson. Verse, a redshirt senior in Tallahassee, is widely considered to be a likely Day One pick as a consensus top-five pass rushing prospect. 
Verse spent two seasons at the FCS level playing for Albany before he found his way to Florida State. Over 15 games with the Great Danes, Verse recorded 14.5 sacks, 21.5 tackles for loss, and 15 quarterback hurries while also being named an FCS Freshman All-American. His 10.5-sack sophomore year helped him navigate his way to Tallahassee through the transfer portal, where he would make an immediate impact.
Last year, Verse made nine starts in 12 game appearances for the Seminoles. He took the new opportunity against an increased level of competition to demonstrate his explosiveness and disruptiveness. He led a staunch FSU defense in both sacks (9.0) and tackles for loss (17.0). He gained national recognition for his performance, and his name even gained traction as a potential first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He sat near the back of most first-round projections due to an inconsistency in playmaking and an occasional tendency to disappear.
Not content with where his Day One draft status sat, Verse returned for another year at Florida State in the hopes of pushing himself into the top 10 draft picks. Coming into the season, Dane Brugler of The Athletic ranked Verse as the nation’s top pass rushing draft prospect for the 2024 draft. While in many aspects, Verse continued to improve, there were still sections of the season that would see him fade from relevance just for him to explode with potential a week or two later.
Expected to improve on his numbers from 2022, Verse only matched his previous sack total (9.0) while failing to reach the tackles for loss total (12.5). He did deal with a knee injury that may have affected his output a bit, something NFL teams may note. Regardless, Verse has a rare combination of speed off the line and pure power. At the NFL level, his impressive get-off and bullrush won’t be enough to get the job done by themselves, meaning he’ll have to expand his arsenal of pass rushing moves in order to succeed at the next level.
With an offense-heavy top of the draft, Verse tends to project as an early, mid-round pick, as illustrated by Mel Kiper of ESPN’s Big Board . He’ll compete with fellow pass rushers Laiatu Latu from UCLA, Dallas Turner from Alabama, and Chop Robinson from Penn State for the honor of the draft’s best pass rusher. Latu, Turner, and Robinson have all functioned as outside linebackers, as opposed to Verse who has routinely worked with a hand in the dirt, so he’ll need to show in pre-draft testing that he’s as athletic as the rest of the field, if not more so.
Lions Open Practice Window For S C.J. Gardner-Johnson
After a strong showing with the Super Bowl runner-up Eagles last season, safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson was considered a significant free agent addition for the Lions back in March. Unfortunately for both parties, Gardner-Johnson only made two starts in Detroit before being placed on injured reserve. Three months later, Gardner-Johnson is finally nearing a return to the active roster, with the Lions officially designating him to return from IR today, per Lions senior writer Tim Twentyman. 
Gardner-Johnson found himself on IR so shortly into the regular season after he suffered a torn pectoral muscle. Initially, a full tear was feared, which usually results in a season-ending diagnosis. While things weren’t “looking good” early, the door has remained open all these weeks later for his return. Almost a week ago, the team announced that the veteran defensive back had been medically cleared to return to play.
Gardner-Johnson was not the only member of Detroit’s secondary to be lost for a significant amount of time. Not long after the team lost Gardner-Johnson early in the season, cornerback Emmanuel Moseley suffered his second ACL tear in as many years. Rookie second-round pick Brian Branch has combined with Cameron Sutton to hold down the cornerbacks group. In Gardner-Johnson’s place, Tracy Walker and Ifeatu Melifonwu have combined to fill a starting role alongside Kerby Joseph.
Now that he’s officially been designated to return, Gardner-Johnson has a 21-day window in which he can practice and eventually be activated off of IR. If he is unable to make a return to the active roster within the three-week period, he will be returned to IR and be unable to be activated during the 2023 season.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/20/23
Wednesday’s minor transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed from practice squad: LB Tyreek Maddox-Williams
- Signed off Ravens’ practice squad: TE Travis Vokolek
- Placed on IR: TE Geoff Swaim, LB Josh Woods
Carolina Panthers
- Designated to return from IR: LB Claudin Cherelus
Cincinnati Bengals
- Claimed off waivers (from Falcons): DT Travis Bell
Denver Broncos
- Designated to return from IR: OL Alex Palczewski
New York Giants
- Designated to return from IR: RB Gary Brightwell, T Matt Peart
New York Jets
- Waived: FB Nick Bawden
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on IR: DT Kalia Davis
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Designated to return from IR: WR Rakim Jarrett
Tennessee Titans
- Signed off Texans’ practice squad: LB Garret Wallow
- Placed on IR: WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/20/23
Today’s practice squad updates:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: FB Ben Mason
Carolina Panthers
- Released: QB Jake Luton
Detroit Lions
- Signed: CB Craig James
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: TE Izaiah Gathings, WR Anthony Miller
Las Vegas Raiders
- Released: CB Troy Pride Jr.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Activated from practice squad/injured reserve: T Silas Dzansi
Mental Health Issues Keep Patriots CB J.C. Jackson From Playing
DECEMBER 19: Jackson’s season is now over. The Patriots are placing the recently reacquired cornerback on the reserve/non-football illness list, ESPN’s Field Yates tweets. As this designation sidelines a player for at least four games, Jackson’s next opportunity to suit up will come in September. Jackson’s Chargers-constructed contract runs through 2026, but no guaranteed money remains beyond this year. The Patriots signed running back Kevin Harris from their practice squad to take Jackson’s roster spot.
DECEMBER 17: The Patriots were forced to start rookie cornerback Alex Austin against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs today when expected starter J.C. Jackson was an unexpected scratch on the active roster today. Jackson’s agent, Neil Schwartz, explained that his client is dealing with mental health issues, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss, a problem Jackson has admitted to in the past. 
“I would say, mentally, I’m getting better,” Jackson had said after missing the team’s trip to Germany. “The past year and a half, two years has been up and down for me, mentally. You see us in those little, small helmets, but as we walk out these doors, we’re dealing with reality and what a normal person has to deal with.”
Jackson, once a prized free agent addition for the Chargers after his initial stint in New England, was traded back to the Patriots earlier this year after multiple injuries and a few healthy scratches in Los Angeles. Jackson was almost immediately elevated to a starting position in New England when rookie first-round pick Christian Gonzalez was lost for the year.
Despite a return to prominence with his old team, Jackson still experienced issues. His absence in Germany was the result of discipline for missing multiple “bed checks,” a punishment that he accepted, apologized for, and said he would learn from.
Today’s absence, though, proves that there is still a bit of work to be done by Jackson. The Patriots clearly thought he would be active today, leading them to list backup cornerback Shaun Wade as inactive. This resulted in the team being down two cornerbacks against one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL and forced them to start a rookie seventh-round pick that they signed a month and a half ago. Things went from bad to worse when veteran starter Jonathan Jones left the game with a knee injury, leaving only Austin and slot corner Myles Bryant as the remaining healthy cornerbacks on the roster.
With the Patriots already eliminated from the playoffs, there won’t be any rush to bring Jackson back before he can handle it, or at least, there shouldn’t be. Players are people, too, and it’s been clear for a while now that Jackson is struggling. Today’s inability to play is the latest in a string of adversity for Jackson as he continues to attempt to prioritize his mental health as an NFL player.
Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase To Miss Time
With Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase dealing with a separated shoulder, the Cincinnati offense will likely be forced to play without him, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. After the star wideout underwent an MRI today, the team came away with the expectation that he will miss at least one game but could miss more. 
We’ve seen Chase attempt to play through a minor injury in the past last year, when a hairline hip fracture was aggravated a week later and ended up keeping him out of four games as he missed five weeks. Perhaps, with that memory as fresh as it is, the Bengals have decided to take the cautious route.
With three weeks to go in the regular season, Cincinnati remains solidly in the playoff mix. At 8-6, the Bengals currently hold the sixth seed in the AFC, holding tiebreakers over the Colts, Bills, and Texans. The remaining schedule consists of trips to Pittsburgh (7-7) and Kansas City (9-5), as well as a home matchup with the Browns (9-5).
Since the Steelers are now planning to roll with their third quarterback this year, it makes sense that the Bengals would use this opportunity to rest Chase. They’ll likely aim to make sure they have their leading receiver back in time for key matchups against the Chiefs and Browns. Still, it sounds like the Bengals are worried Chase may need to rest for longer than a single week.
So far this year, the Bengals haven’t nearly had the extremely strong, three-headed receiving attack with Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd that they had last year. Without Chase, Higgins and Boyd will take on a larger role, something they have shown they are more than capable of in the past, but filling in as the third receiver will be Trenton Irwin who is currently a distant fourth receiver on the team.
Cincinnati will hope they won’t have to rely on that threesome for too long, though. By letting Chase sit this week, the Bengals are hoping he will be able to return in time to help them close out the playoff push.
Vikings Designate OLB Jordan Hicks To Return From IR
After not missing a single game since 2018, Vikings outside linebacker Jordan Hicks has now missed the past four weeks of the season. Minnesota is hopeful that they will be able to start a new streak for Hicks after opening his 21-day practice window to come off of injured reserve today. 
Hicks suffered a shin contusion in the team’s win over the Saints weeks ago and, as the game progressed, began feeling numbness and losing strength in his leg. The pain reportedly became excruciating, causing him to sweat profusely and lie in the fetal position, per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. Hicks underwent “emergency surgery” hours later and was subsequently placed on IR. Luckily, a successful surgery helped Hicks to avoid permanent damage in a situation that reportedly “often results in muscle loss or even amputation.”
Despite that, Hicks has been around the team, in the Vikings’ facility, attending meetings, rehabilitating. According to Seifert, defensive coordinator Brian Flores has expressed optimism that Hicks will be able to make a return this year, hence today’s designation.
If Hicks is able to make his comeback this year, it will provide a bit of a happy ending to what was a scary situation. If the Vikings hope to have Hicks in a potential playoff push and run, he will need to be activated with the next three weeks. Otherwise, we won’t see Hicks again until the 2024 season.
Patriots Place G Cole Strange On IR
The Patriots bad season got worse this weekend when they saw starting offensive guard Cole Strange carted off the field yesterday. After the knee injury forced him to leave the game, Strange has been placed on injured reserve, per a team announcement. 
In his second NFL season out of Chattanooga, the former first-round pick has fared much better against his professional competition this year. After grading out as the 61st best guard in the league as a rookie, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Strange currently ranks as the 28th best guard this season.
Unfortunately, injuries have kept him from really blossoming in 2023. After missing the team’s season-opener, Strange came back for two games before being forced to leave the Patriots’ Week 3 contest early. He would be forced to sit out for three games before coming back to make eight straight starts up until this most recent injury.
Atonio Mafi, the fifth-round rookie out of UCLA started in place of Strange in the previous four games he’d missed and filled in for Strange when he left the game yesterday. With Strange out for the rest of the year, Mafi will be starting three more games to end his rookie campaign.
New England also added another body to the quarterbacks room today. Joining Bailey Zappe and Mac Jones at the position will be Nathan Rourke. Rourke was waived by the Jaguars this weekend to make room for return specialist Jamal Agnew to come off IR and found himself getting claimed off the waiver wire by the Patriots. The former CFL quarterback hasn’t made an NFL appearance, but with the season all but decided for New England, the Patriots may decide to see just what they have in Rourke.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/18/23
Monday’s minor moves:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on IR: CB DJ Ivey (story), DT D.J. Reader (story)
Denver Broncos
- Activated from reserve/suspended: S Kareem Jackson
Houston Texans
- Waived: RB Mike Boone
Kansas City Chiefs
- Activated from reserve/suspended: WR Justyn Ross
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed to active roster: C Cameron Tom
- Placed on IR: C Will Clapp
Philadelphia Eagles
- Elevated: CB Mekhi Garner
Seattle Seahawks
- Elevated: QB Sean Mannion, S Ty Okada
Washington Commanders
- Waived: LS Camaron Cheeseman
With regular starter Corey Linsley absent since Week 3 of the season, Clapp has served as the Chargers’ starting center this year. Unfortunately for Los Angeles, Clapp will spend the rest of the season on injured reserve after suffering a knee injury. With a next-man-up mentality, the team has called up Tom from the practice squad to fill his place.
With Cheeseman now out of Washington, the Commanders will have to work fast to find a replacement as they currently do not have a long snapper anywhere on the roster.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/18/23
Today’s only practice squad transactions:
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: OL Brent Laing
New England Patriots
- Signed: CB William Hooper, RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn
Hooper, an undrafted rookie out of Northwestern State, originally signed with the Packers after a rookie minicamp invitation. When he failed to make the initial 53-man roster in Green Bay, the Patriots swooped in, signing the young defensive back in mid-September. Two weeks later, Hooper was a free agent again, not signing with another team until late-November when he joined the Cardinals’ practice squad. After Arizona released him about a week ago, Hooper will rejoin the Patriots as a member of the practice squad, once again.