Patriots OL David Andrews, Isaiah Wynn To Miss Time
New England’s interior offensive line took some hits in today’s win over the Jets. Both starting center David Andrews and left guard Isaiah Wynn left today’s game with injuries that could force the Patriots to reconfigure their men upfront for the remainder of the year. 
Andrews has been the longtime center in New England since signing with the team as an undrafted free agent in 2015. While he’s missed his fair share of games in the past with injuries, a seven-game season would easily be a career-low for the 30-year-old out of Georgia. Andrews left today’s game with a thigh injury, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. He’ll undergo more testing to determine the severity of the injury, but the Patriots are reportedly not expecting good news as they fear the injury may end his season.
Wynn has also been a consistent starting presence on the Patriots offensive line since being selected in the first-round four years ago. Wynn was originally intended to contribute as a tackle but was moved inside in 2020 and has continued in that role this season. Wynn is, unfortunately, a bit more accustomed to missing extended periods of time than Andrews. Wynn tore his Achilles tendon in 2018, forcing him to miss his entire rookie season. He spent stretches of time on injured reserve in each of the following two seasons for a toe injury and a knee injury. Wynn left today’s game “with a foot injury,” according to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, and could also miss extended time due to the ailment. He, too, will undergo further testing in order to determine the extent of the injury.
Rookie Cole Strange is expected to fill in for Wynn during any time he may miss. The two have been jostling in recent weeks for a starting spot, despite both holding starting roles for most of the season. With Wynn out, New England will have little choice but to let Strange take the opportunity. Andrew’s backup is James Ferentz, who started at center for each of the past two games that Andrews has missed lately.
These injuries seem to pile onto similar blows to the team’s offensive line this season. Andrews could be joining Chasen Hines and Marcus Cannon on IR, and, even if Wynn doesn’t get assigned to IR, he may be sitting out like Andrew Stueber has done recently due to injury.
Before today’s win over their division-opponents, the Patriots were fourth in the AFC East. They now sit at third with a 6-4 record, one win behind current division leaders Miami (7-3) and Buffalo (7-3). The injuries will certainly make it difficult for New England to stay in what has turned into a very intriguing division race.
49ers Pursued DT Ndamukong Suh
After failing to find a home through the first 10 weeks of the 2022 NFL season, defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh made his season debut today with the Eagles, who signed him earlier this week. The 35-year-old was in an unfamiliar position as he sat in free agency well into November, but Suh found a home with a Super Bowl contender and made his debut today against the Colts. 
While reports made the rounds linking Suh to teams like the Raiders and Browns, the only other option confirmed by Suh is the 49ers, according to Mike Florio of NBC Sports. Suh communicated by phone that his decision came down to Philadelphia or San Francisco. The obvious reason for Suh’s attraction is the presence of defensive line coach Kris Kocurek on the 49ers coaching staff. Kocurek was present throughout Suh’s All-Pro career tenure in Detroit, providing Suh with a familiar face in the Bay Area.
There was likely mutual interest, as well, as the 49ers deal with a litany of injuries along the defensive line. Javon Kinlaw and Maurice Hurst remain on injured reserve while Arik Armstead and Kalia Davis have both missed time with recent injuries. Bringing in Suh would’ve provided some much-needed depth as Kevin Givens and Hassan Ridgeway anchor the middle of the line amidst all the absences.
One team we know didn’t reach out is the Cowboys. Owner, president, and general manager Jerry Jones told the media that the team “didn’t have contact” with Suh because they “like where (they) are with (their) big boys in the middle,” according to Jon Machota of The Athletic. Jones is referring to a stash of tackles that includes Johnathan Hankins, Osa Odighizuwa, Quinton Bohanna, Carlos Watkins, and Neville Gallimore. That collection was enough to convince Jones to stay his hand in regard to Suh.
The reason Suh chose the Eagles seems extremely clear. The Eagles come into Week 11 atop the NFC, despite their shocking loss to the Commanders on Monday, and are considered favorites in the conference that has seen a remarkably weird year. Suh has twins. He won a Super Bowl with the Buccaneers and has decided that he needs a ring for each twin.
He went so far as to take an extremely team-friendly deal in Philadelphia, as his main goal is just to win another Super Bowl. In addition to sacrificing money in the contract, Suh will appear off the bench for the first time in his career. Through the first 12 seasons of his career, not only did Suh show an iron-man resiliency, only missing two games while playing in 191, he also started all 191 games that he appeared in. With Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave fairly secure in their starting jobs on the line, Suh remains behind them on the depth chart.
That may change as Suh gets more comfortable with his new team, but the Eagles were a bit unsure today on his role considering the short amount of time he had to learn the defense, according to James Palmer of NFL Network. Despite any hesitancies they held in playing him this week, Suh found a way to make an impact today with three tackles, a half-sack, and a quarterback hit in limited time off the bench.
Broncos Place LB Jonas Griffith On IR, Activate LS Jacob Bobenmoyer
The Broncos made a number of moves leading up to their matchup with the Raiders tomorrow afternoon, according to the team’s managing editor Ben Swanson. Denver placed starting linebacker Jonas Griffith on injured reserve, replacing his roster spot with long snapper Jacob Bobenmoyer after activating the special teamer from IR. The team signed offensive tackle Quinn Bailey to the active roster from the practice squad and promoted wide receiver Brandon Johnson and linebacker Harvey Langi as standard gameday elevations. 
Griffith has earned a place on one of the league’s top defenses after going undrafted in 2020 out of Indiana State. After bouncing between San Francisco and Indianapolis during his rookie season, Griffith was traded to the Broncos due to a stellar preseason before the 2021 season. An impressive first year in Denver with four starts in 13 game appearance led the team to tender him an exclusive-rights free agent offer. In his second season with the team, Griffith has started eight of the Broncos’ nine games. He’s nearly matched his entire production from last season at just past the halfway point of this season.
Unfortunately, that may be all of the season that Griffith sees. After aggravating a foot injury this week in practice, Griffith is headed to IR and expected to stay there for the remainder of the season, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS. His injury piles onto a season-long issue for the Broncos who now have 13 players on IR and have seen missed time from several other contributors. In his absence, Alex Singleton will likely take the starting spot next to Josey Jewell at inside linebacker, possibly getting some help from Langi who could make his Broncos debut after joining the team’s practice squad over a month ago.
Bobenmoyer is set to return after sitting out the four games required before returning from IR. Bobenmoyer found himself on the injured list after suffering an injury to the hand/wrist area in a Week 5 overtime loss to the Colts. Bobenmoyer was replaced by practice squad long snapper Mitchell Fraboni who filled in well during the four weeks Bobenmoyer was out until getting placed on IR himself with a fractured finger. Bobenmoyer’s return comes just in time, helping the Broncos avoid the use of a third long snapper in just one season.
Johnson could make his NFL debut this week as a gameday elevation. The undrafted rookie, who caught 11 touchdowns for UCF last year, started the season on IR before getting waived with an injury settlement shortly after the start of the season. He returned to the practice squad about a month ago and could end up making an impact as starting wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler have been listed as out for tomorrow, Tim Patrick remains on IR, and Kendall Hinton is listed as questionable with a shoulder injury. Denver could be operating with a total of four healthy receivers in Courtland Sutton, Jalen Virgil, Montrell Washington, and Johnson if Hinton is not available.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/19/22
The league’s minor moves leading up to gameday:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed to active roster: RB Corey Clement
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted from practice squad: OL Ryan Neuzil, WR Frank Darby
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Daryl Worley
Buffalo Bills
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Tanner Gentry, CB Xavier Rhodes
Chicago Bears
- Promoted from practice squad: RB Darrynton Evans
Dallas Cowboys
- Promoted from practice squad: G Dakoda Shepley
Detroit Lions
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Stanley Berryhill
- Waived: S JuJu Hughes
Houston Texans
- Activated from IR: Michael Dwumfour
- Promoted from practice squad: DB Jacobi Francis, DB Will Redmond
- Waived: DL Jaleel Johnson
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted from practice squad: DE Kameron Cline, TE Nikola Kalinic
Kansas City Chiefs
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Marcus Kemp, WR Cornell Powell
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Tyler Hall
Los Angeles Chargers
- Activated from NFI: TE Stone Smartt
- Signed to active roster: DL Joe Gaziano
- Promoted from practice squad: K Cameron Dicker, T Foster Sarell
- Waived: WR Keelan Doss
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed to active roster: WR Jacob Harris
- Promoted from practice squad: T AJ Arcuri, G Jeremiah Kolone
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed to active roster: TE Nick Muse
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Tay Gowan
- Waived: OLB Benton Whitley
New Orleans Saints
- Signed to active roster: G Yasir Durant, DB Bryce Thompson
- Promoted from practice squad: DE Jabari Zuniga
- Waived: TE J.P. Holtz, Nick Vannett
New York Giants
- Promoted from practice squad: TE Lawrence Cager
New York Jets
- Promoted from practice squad: DL Tanzel Smart, OL Conor McDermott
Washington Commanders
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Nathan Gerry
- Placed on IR: TE Armani Rogers
Bears Sign DE Taco Charlton, Cut LB A.J. Klein
The Bears acquired some depth on the defensive line today, signing former first-round pick Taco Charlton from the Saints practice squad, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Additionally, the Bears activated linebacker Matthew Adams from injured reserve. 
Charlton has had a rollercoaster of a career through six seasons. He’s coming off of a down season in Pittsburgh where the Steelers barely used him. As a rotational pass rusher, Charlton only played more than half of the team’s defensive snaps twice in the season. In his lone start, he earned his only half-sack and a quarterback hit. In the only other game that saw him play more than half the Steelers’ snaps, he recorded his only other quarterback hit of the season.
Charlton hasn’t played a full season since his rookie year for the Cowboys in 2017. Since then, injuries and inactive periods for other non-disclosed reasons have kept him off the field for weeks at a time. He signed with the Saints early in the offseason but was cut and signed to the practice squad at the roster cut deadline.
Adams is a reserve linebacker and core special teamer for the Bears. He was placed on IR after suffering a calf injury in the team’s Week 5 loss to the Vikings. His return adds some depth to the linebacking position behind starters Jack Sanborn, Joe Thomas, and Nicholas Morrow.
To make room for Charlton on the active roster, Chicago released linebacker A.J. Klein with a non-injury settlement agreement, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network. Klein was acquired in the trade that sent star linebacker Roquan Smith to Baltimore. Klein appeared in each of the Bears’ last two games, playing sparsely on special teams. His departure is quickly remedied by the return of Adams.
Cowboys Sign DE Takk McKinley To Practice Squad
The Cowboys reunited defensive end Takkarist McKinley with defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who drafted McKinley in the first round when he was head coach of the Falcons in 2017, signing the 27-year-old to the team’s practice squad today, according to Todd Archer of ESPN. McKinley will be joining his sixth franchise in as many years. 
McKinley spent the first four years of his career with the team that drafted him, showing tremendous potential through his rookie and sophomore seasons. Despite only starting eight games in his first two years, McKinley made the most of his opportunities, racking up 13.0 sacks, 14.0 tackles for loss, and 25 quarterback hits. He started 13 games for the Falcons in 2019 but saw his sack production drop to half what it was the year before.
After only appearing in four games for the Falcons in 2020, McKinley officially requested a trade from Atlanta, after internally requesting a trade in private since 2019. The Falcons had rejected several trade offers in 2019 and ended up waiving their fourth-year pass rusher shortly after his public trade request. He was initially claimed by the Bengals and 49ers but, after failing physicals, returned to the waiver wire. Eventually he was claimed by the Raiders but was placed on injured reserve, where he would remain for the rest of the season.
His rookie contract expired, McKinley signed with the Browns as a free agent on a one-year contract. After a decent bounce back season as a rotational end, McKinley’s season ended late in December with a torn Achilles tendon. Coming off the season-ending injury made it hard for McKinley to find a new home. He worked out with several teams, including the Cowboys, in the offseason before eventually signing to join the Titans practice squad just after the start of the season. Only five days later, though, the Rams signed McKinley off the Titans practice squad, utilizing him sparingly over the next four weeks before ultimately cutting him a little under a month ago.
McKinley is now hoping for another chance under Quinn, who saw him at his most successful five years ago. He’ll have quite a depth chart to climb if he intends to make an impact this season. The Cowboys start DeMarcus Lawrence and Dorance Armstrong at the end position with Dante Fowler, Tarell Basham, and rookie Sam Williams rotating in behind them. It’s a strong group for Dallas and having McKinley waiting on the practice squad can make it that much more dangerous.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/16/22
Today’s practice squad transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: T Julien Davenport, TE Chris Pierce
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DT Roderick Perry II
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: DL David Moa
New England Patriots
- Signed: T Hunter Thedford
New York Giants
- Signed: T Devery Hamilton
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: S Marquise Blair
Broncos WR Jerry Jeudy Suffers Ankle Injury
NOVEMBER 14: An MRI confirmed on Monday that Jeudy did indeed only suffer a mild ankle injury, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (video link). His availability for this week remains up in the air, but the news represents a very positive development for the Broncos.
NOVEMBER 13: Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy left today’s loss to the Titans with an ankle injury that kept him out for the rest of the game. After evaluating the injury further, Denver believes the injury is not his Achilles tendon, which would be the worst-case scenario for the 23-year-old, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS. 
Jeudy missed seven games last year, including six straight due to a high ankle sprain. He’s come back strong during his third year in the league, not missing a single start so far this year. That streak may be in question following today’s injury, though. It will be good news if the team can confirm that his Achilles is fine, but an injury that was serious enough to hold him out of the rest of the game will be tough to come back from quickly.
With slot receiver KJ Hamler dealing with a hamstring injury and Tim Patrick still on injured reserve with a season-ending ACL tear, the Broncos can hardly afford to lose Jeudy. With Jeudy on the sideline, Denver relied on Kendall Hinton, Tyrie Cleveland, rookie fifth-round pick Montrell Washington, and undrafted rookie Jalen Virgil to step up alongside the team’s only remaining starting wideout, Courtland Sutton. Virgil and Hinton found some success today against Tennessee but relying on them for multiple weeks is a lot to ask for an offense that has already struggled throughout the season.
The team is also piling up injuries at center. Graham Glasgow, who was already filling for Lloyd Cushenberry after the starting center was placed on IR, left today’s game and did not return, according to Klis. Denver brought in rookie fifth-round pick Luke Wattenberg to fill in for Glasgow and will likely ask him to start if Glasgow needs more time to recover.
Vikings Place CB Cameron Dantzler On IR
Vikings cornerback Cameron Dantzler was placed on injured reserve yesterday as the result of an ankle injury, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The loss of their starting cornerback comes at a four-game stretch where the Vikings’ opponents are a combined 23-13. 
Dantzler has become a full-time starter in his third season in the NFL. When Dantzler left last week’s win over the Commanders, Minnesota utilized a mixture of Akayleb Evans and Chandon Sullivan opposite the team’s other starter Patrick Peterson. The two were asked once again to step in today against the Bills before Evans left the game with an apparent concussion, requiring the Vikings to turn to rookie second-round pick Andrew Booth who was playing his first career NFL snaps on defense.
The Vikings will hope Evans can clear concussion protocols quickly to avoid having to rely too much on Booth and Kris Boyd, who had seen a combined two defensive snaps before today’s game. The team also expects Dantzler to make a return this season. By placing him on IR before today’s matchup, the game will count toward the four-game minimum that he must remain on IR before being eligible to return. If he can recover quickly, Dantzler can be eligible to return as soon as Week 14, in time for a trip to Detroit.
In a corresponding move yesterday, the Vikings also signed practice squad cornerback Duke Shelley to the active roster. The third-year cornerback out of Kansas State had appeared in two games prior to this week but only appeared on special teams. Shelley was also forced into action during the team’s overtime win today, breaking up a pass intended for Bills tight end Dawson Knox in the endzone that would’ve ended the game had it been completed. Instead, Peterson intercepted quarterback Josh Allen on the very next play, cementing the seventh-straight victory for the Vikings.
Dolphins DE Emmanuel Ogbah Out For Rest Of Season
Dolphins defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah suffered a torn tricep in today’s win over the Browns and will require season-ending surgery, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Ogbah hadn’t produced to the level that the Dolphins had hoped for this year, but the team will still miss one of its most talented pass rushers. 
In a down season, Ogbah only had one sack, one tackle for loss, and seven quarterback hits through nine games. Ogbah has led the Dolphins in sacks and quarterback hits in each of the last two seasons, tallying nine sacks in both years and 45 quarterback hits over that period. Those numbers are career highs for the 29-year-old, showing that Miami was a perfect place for the pass rusher to develop after average stints in Cleveland and Kansas City.
This year, the Dolphins expected an elite pass rush. With their reigning sack-leader in Ogbah paired up with second-year outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips, who nearly matched Ogbah’s production last year as a rookie, and free agent addition Melvin Ingram, who had shown an ability to reach double-digit sacks during his time with the Chargers, Miami didn’t anticipate having any issues getting to the quarterback. The three players have combined for only 8.5 sacks, though, as Ingram has 4.0 and Phillips has 3.5 so far this season.
The team was apparently concerned enough about the lack of pressure that they addressed it just before the trade deadline, acquiring former fifth-overall draft pick Bradley Chubb from the Broncos. Chubb has had his own injury history but, in his last full season of play, was able to accumulate 12.0 sacks. Unfortunately, that last full season of play was his rookie season in 2018. Since then, Chubb has missed 23 games but has yet to miss a game this year. He had 5.5 sacks in eight games before leaving Denver this season.
The arrival of Chubb, who earned a half-sack in his Dolphins debut today, should soften the blow of losing Ogbah for the year, even though it’s still a tremendous loss for the Dolphins’ defense. On the defensive line, in Ogbah’s absence, Zach Sieler should continue to get plenty of playing time alongside Christian Wilkins and Raekwon Davis. Sieler’s pass rush hasn’t nearly been as effective as Ogbah’s over his career, but the team can still turn to Chubb, Phillips, Ingram, and Andrew Van Ginkel to provide a pass rush.