Minor NFL Transactions: 10/19/24
Today’s minor moves and standard gameday practice squad callups:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed to active roster: DT T.J. Smith
- Elevated: OLB Shaq Lawson, LB Shaquille Quarterman
- Waived: C Andrew Raym
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns
- Elevated: WR Jaelon Darden
Detroit Lions
- Signed to active roster: DL Pat O’Connor
- Elevated: DE Isaac Ukwu, TE Shane Zylstra
Green Bay Packers
- Elevated: FB Andrew Beck
Houston Texans
- Activated from reserve/suspended list: DE Denico Autry
- Elevated: FB Troy Hairston, CB Desmond King
Indianapolis Colts
- Elevated: LB Liam Anderson, CB Kelvin Joseph
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed to active roster: WR Alex Bachman
- Elevated: TE Justin Shorter, WR Kristian Wilkerson
Los Angeles Chargers
- Released: S Tony Jefferson
Los Angeles Rams
- Elevated: CB Ahkello Witherspoon
Miami Dolphins
- Signed to active roster: QB Tim Boyle
- Elevated: CB Nik Needham, LS Matt Overton
- Placed on reserve/NFI list: LS Blake Ferguson
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed to active roster: TE Robert Tonyan
- Waived: WR Trishton Jackson
- Elevated: DE Jalen Redmond, OLB Bo Richter
New England Patriots
- Elevated: LB Ochaun Mathis
New York Jets
- Signed to active roster: TE Anthony Firkser
- Elevated: S Jalen Mills, CB Kendall Sheffield
Philadelphia Eagles
- Activated from reserve/PUP list: S Sydney Brown
- Elevated: OL Jack Driscoll
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed to active roster: LB Adetokunbo Ogundeji
- Elevated: WR Brandon Johnson, RB Jonathan Ward
San Francisco 49ers
- Elevated: K Anders Carlson, S Jaylen Mahoney
Seattle Seahawks
- Elevated: CB Faion Hicks, CB Josh Jobe
Autry was hit with a six-game PED suspension in July, leaving the Texans without a key figure along the defensive line. The free agent pickup could have suited up by means of Houston using his one-week roster exemption; instead, he has been activated in time for Week 7. Autry, 34, posted a career-high 11 sacks last season and he will look to make an immediate impact during his Texans debut. Especially with Mario Edwards having been issued a four-game suspension of his own earlier this week, he should have a notable role right away.
Falcons Place OLB Lorenzo Carter On IR
The Falcons made a surprising roster move today. It’s been a fast-moving situation for outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter, who has played in every game so far this season. The sequence of events has led to Carter being placed on injured reserve, per Falcons digital team reporter Terrin Waack. 
The situation began on Wednesday of this week, when it was reported that Carter was in the NFL’s concussion protocol. He had originally been placed on the team’s injury report under the designation of “illness” after not practicing, but Atlanta updated the designation to “concussion” by the end of the day. Carter missed the next two practices before ultimately being ruled out for tomorrow’s game.
What makes this sequence of events so surprising is that concussions rarely warrant a stint on IR. At a minimum, we’ve seen players navigate the league’s concussion protocol in days. To see Carter being ruled out for the next four weeks because of the head injury adds some concern and intrigue to the situation.
Carter had been the starter across from Matt Judon for every game this season, except for one in which the team only started one outside linebacker. In his extended absence, Arnold Ebiketie and James Smith-Williams will likely be fighting for the available snaps across from Judon.
To fill the newly open spot on the 53-man roster, Atlanta signed veteran cornerback Kevin King from the practice squad. King has appeared in all six games this season between time on the active roster and practice squad, mostly contributing on special teams.
Additionally, the Falcons announced that cornerback Natrone Brooks and defensive end Demone Harris will function as their standard gameday practice squad elevations in Week 7.
Jaguars CB Tyson Campbell Activated From IR
The Jaguars are getting some much-needed help in the secondary this week as the team announced that cornerback Tyson Campbell has been activated from injured reserve. After leaving the team’s season opener with a hamstring injury, Campbell finally gets back to the field for a Week 7 matchup against New England in old England. 
With Campbell out of the lineup, the Jacksonville secondary has been picked apart all throughout the first six weeks of the season. Through six games, the Jaguars defense ranked dead last in passing yards allowed, passing touchdowns allowed, and passes intercepted. While it’s hard to imagine that Campbell comes in and turns them into a top pass defense unit all by himself, the team’s performance so far has nowhere to go but up.
It makes sense that the Jaguars were patient in returning Campbell to the field. Last year the young corner was nagged with injury. He missed two games about a third of the way through the season and tried to come back but only played half of the defense’s snaps before leaving the game and missing two additional weeks. He attempted to come back one more time and played all of the team’s defensive snaps in that game, but he would miss the next two weeks again with injury. This time, they placed him on IR and allowed him time to rest and recover
In addition to activating Campbell, the Jaguars also announced their two gameday practice squad elevations for tomorrow morning. Running back Jake Funk and defensive end Joe Gaziano will be joining the team for their trip to London.
Jets Rumors: 2024 Season, Reddick, Williams
At 2-4, this is not where the Jets thought they would be at this point of the 2024 NFL season. With so many glaring issues on the team that point to that record, one isn’t wrong to wonder why New York would make the big move to trade for wide receiver Davante Adams that they made this week. According to Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports, the answer is pretty simple.
It’s all or nothing for many important figures in the Jets organization this season. The team has already parted ways with former head coach Robert Saleh, and if things don’t improve, interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich and general manager Joe Douglas won’t be far behind him. To date, the Jets are 29-60 with Douglas as GM and have yet to make the playoffs with him at the helm. Add in the fact that quarterback Aaron Rodgers may not want to be playing next year at 42 years old, and there’s a chance New York will be home to a new head coach, GM, and quarterback in 2025.
All of this is on the table with an unsuccessful 2024 campaign, so everyone in New York is all-in on whatever it takes to win this season. When Saleh’s head was the first to roll, it became clear that drastic changes were needed in order for the rest of the crew to retain their jobs. If that means kowtowing to Rodgers and trading for his favorite receiver from their time in Green Bay, it appears that that’s what will happen. As evidence, a serious offer for Adams reportedly didn’t even come until after Saleh was let go, per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.
Here are a few other rumors from the Jets in recent days:
- The Jets have been actively shopping pass rusher Haason Reddick after trading for him this offseason. They may be a bit selective on where he goes, though. Breer points out that, should New York trade Reddick to an NFC team, the pick conditional pick that they sent to the Eagles for him goes from a third-round pick to a second-rounder. As much as they’d like to wash their hands of the situation, the pick difference is severe enough that they’re likely being picky about how they deal Reddick.
- Another potential trade piece after the acquisition of Adams, it appears that wide receiver Mike Williams will play this weekend against the Steelers, per Connor Hughes of SportsNet New York. Ulbrich made the announcement today after Williams was a full participant at practice.
Notre Dame CB Benjamin Morrison Out For Season
Another top cornerback prospect for the 2025 NFL Draft has found their season ending early. According to a tweet from Pro Football Focus’ college account, junior Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison will miss the remainder of the college season with a hip injury. 
Morrison is an Arizona native out of Brophy College Prep in Phoenix. As a four-star recruit, Morrison was a top-four prospect in the state. He committed to the Fighting Irish over offers from in-state Arizona, then-Pac-12 powers Washington and Oregon, and Alabama, agreeing to play for then-head coach Brian Kelly but eventually sticking with defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman after Kelly left for LSU and Freeman took over head coaching duties.
Morrison was an immediate factor on defense as a true freshman. Having high school experience as a receiver and kick returner, Morrison put his hands to use, nabbing six interceptions, tied for third in the country that year. Five of those picks came in two games with three coming against Boston College and two against Clemson, including a 97-yard pick six of D.J. Uiagalelei. Those efforts earned him True Freshman All-American honors from several publications.
Morrison didn’t slow down as a sophomore. While he only recorded half of his prior year interception total, Morrison tied for 25th in the nation with 13 passes defensed. While he hadn’t recorded an interception in six games this year, Morrison was on a similar track for passes defensed with four so far this season.
Morrison’s disruptive knack for making plays on the ball certainly caught the eyes of NFL scouting personnel. After only two years in college, Morrison appeared on preseason prospect rankings all over, with many expecting him to leave after three years of school. Much like East Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel, Morrison appeared high in the recent prospect rankings of ESPN’s Mel Kiper.
Revel and Morrison appeared back-to-back in Kiper’s ranking as the 20th and 21st best overall draft prospects, and the third and fourth cornerback prospects, respectively, behind only Michigan’s Will Johnson and Colorado dual-position prospect Travis Hunter. In the rankings of Kiper’s ESPN peers Jordan Reid, Matt Miller, and Field Yates, Morrison ranked just ahead of Revel, with only Kiper ranking Revel higher.
Morrison is the son of Darryl Morrison, a sixth-round safety out of Arizona who was selected by Washington in 1993. The elder Morrison started 28 games over the course of his rookie contract, recording an interception, seven fumble recoveries (one for a touchdown), and 165 total tackles, but he failed to earn a second contract in the NFL.
Benjamin will hope to follow in his father’s footsteps as an NFL draft pick, and he’ll hope to outdo his father as a Day 1 selection. His odds to do that have likely dropped with the severity of this hip injury, but with draft pundits still so high on him following the announcement that he’ll miss the remainder of the season, Morrison only needs one NFL team to agree he’s worth a first-round pick next April.
NFL Injury Updates: Texans, Carr, Dean, Lowe
The Texans defense played without rookie starting cornerback Kamari Lassiter last weekend, and they may be without him for a bit longer. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, Lassiter is expected to miss a few more games due to the scapula injury he suffered against the Bills nearly two weeks ago.
Wilson emphasized that Lassiter is improving and that he is expected to make a full recovery with no surgery, but for now, he’s a ways off from returning to the field. Another defensive back who is expected to miss his second straight game is veteran safety Jimmie Ward, who sat out last week’s contest after aggravating a groin injury.
Lastly, undrafted rookie running back British Brooks, who was placed on injured reserve 10 days ago, has undergone successful knee surgery, per Wilson. The procedure to repair Brooks’ torn meniscus took place yesterday. He is expected to make a full recovery but isn’t expected to return this season. Brooks should be ready for organized team activities in the spring.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NFL:
- After a promising 2-0 start, the Saints‘ 2024 campaign has taken a slide with five straight losses, partially due to the injury and absence of quarterback Derek Carr. Well, it appears that Carr will be out at least one more week. Per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Carr may be trying to come back by Week 8 to plays the Chargers, a team he’s very familiar with, but the team views the Week 9 trip to Carolina or the Week 10 matchup versus the Falcons as more likely return-dates for their quarterback. Head coach Dennis Allen echoed this sentiment, telling Matthew Paras of The Times-Picayune that he wasn’t sure whether or not Carr would play in Los Angeles but claiming that it was “very likely” that he’s back in time for the Panthers.
- After leaving this past Sunday’s game in New Orleans early with a hamstring injury, Buccaneers cornerback Jamel Dean has not practiced this week. Greg Auman of FOX Sports believes that Dean is likely headed towards a multi-week absence. While a stint on IR may be in the cards, the Buccaneers haven’t gone that way just yet.
- Patriots left tackle Vederian Lowe is another player who left this weekend’s games early. He underwent an MRI on Monday that confirmed the expected diagnosis of an ankle sprain. While Lowe has been downgraded to out for this weekend’s game in London, New England expects to see him back in the near future, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/18/24
Today’s practice squad transactions:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: TE Zaire Mitchell-Paden
- Placed on practice squad IR: TE Qadir Ismail
Denver Broncos
- Signed: RB Blake Watson
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: CB Zyon Gilbert
- Placed on practice squad IR: CB Anthony Averett
Lions Extend DT Alim McNeill
The Lions experienced a huge loss when star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson went down for the year with a broken tibia this weekend. That might make Detroit a little more appreciative of who they do have on the defensive line. Perhaps that’s why the team decided to sign defensive tackle Alim McNeill to a four-year extension, per his agent Mike McCartney, keeping the 24-year-old in Detroit through the 2028 NFL season. 
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported some numbers for us, detailing that the extension will be worth $97MM over its four-year lifespan. McNeill will receive $55MM guaranteed on the new deal. The extension sets McNeill as the fourth-highest paid defensive tackle in the NFL in both total contract value and average annual value. He trails Chris Jones, Christian Wilkins, and Nnamdi Madubuike and just outpaces Quinnen Williams and Derrick Brown.
McNeill came to Detroit as a third-round pick out of NC State in the 2021 NFL Draft. He immediately found himself in the rotation as a rookie, starting six games for the Lions. By his sophomore campaign, McNeill was a full-time starter, and by his third year, McNeill was establishing himself as one of the best interior defensive linemen in the NFL.
Despite missing four games last year, McNeill had a breakout season, recording career highs in sacks (5.0) and quarterback hits (10) while matching a career high in tackles for loss (6). As a result of his breakout season, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked McNeill as the seventh-best interior defensive lineman out of 130 NFL players graded at the position.
This year, McNeill has continued his elite level of play. With 2.5 sacks, three tackles for loss, and four quarterback hits, McNeill is on track to set new career highs in several statistical categories. PFF has reflected those efforts in their rankings this season, as well, slotting McNeill in as the sixth-best interior defender out of 121 graded players in the league.
McNeill was a part of Brad Holmes‘ first draft class as the team’s new general manager in 2021. Holmes made a splash almost immediately, with his first official act as GM being to trade longtime quarterback Matthew Stafford to the Rams in exchange for Jared Goff, two first-round picks, and a third-rounder. He followed that up with an impressive draft class.
From that seven-player draft class, McNeill becomes the third player to already have an extended contract, joining offensive cornerstones offensive tackle Penei Sewell and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. The class also contained second-round defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike, who missed his entire second season with a back injury but has become a reliable part of the rotation this year. Fellow third-rounder, defensive back Ifeatu Melifonwu, contributed all over the field last season with two picks, eight passes defensed, and three sacks, but he’s been stuck on injured reserve so far this year. Fourth-round linebacker Derrick Barnes has also become a consistent starter on the defense and is having the best season of his career so far this year.
The Lions are certainly getting the most out of their ample salary cap space and seem to have an unlimited source of funds. Since April, Holmes and Detroit have extended St. Brown, Sewell, Goff, Taylor Decker, David Montgomery, and now, McNeill. Players like Onwuzurike, Barnes, Hutchinson, and Kerby Joseph remain as players eligible for extensions on the horizon. For now, though, Holmes and the Lions have done an incredible job of identifying key contributors and signing them to big deals.
Jets Place S Chuck Clark On IR
Jets safety Chuck Clark‘s troubles staying on the field since leaving Baltimore have continued into this year. The former Ravens strong safety only missed two games over the first six years of his career in Baltimore, but since being traded to New York, he is on track to have missed at least 21 games. He missed all 17 games of the 2023 NFL season with a torn ACL, and now, Clark is set to miss at least four more after being placed on injured reserve today, per Jets team reporter Ethan Greenberg. 
Clark missed the entirety of his only season under contract with New York, but the Jets elected to keep him around, re-signing he and fellow free agent Ashtyn Davis while watching Jordan Whitehead walk in free agency. The Jets held an offseason competition for the starting two jobs between Clark, Davis, and Tony Adams after Adams and Whitehead started most of last year. Clark ended up beating out Davis to start the first six games of the season alongside Adams, with Davis getting playing time here and there off the bench.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network pinpointed the sidelining injury as a high-ankle sprain suffered in last night’s loss to the Bills. A minimal four-game absence would see Clark returning to the field on November 17 for a Sunday night matchup against the Colts. If Clark isn’t quite ready to return at that point in the season, an additional two weeks would be available for recovery as the Jets’ bye week falls right after the Week 11 contest versus Indianapolis.
With Clark sidelined, the Jets are fortunate to have the safety depth from their position competition this offseason. Davis will be the obvious choice to step in as the new starter in Clark’s absence. The team also rosters veteran Jalen Mills, who has several seasons of starting experience from his time with the Eagles and Patriots.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/15/24
Today’s minor moves in the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed to active roster: K Chad Ryland
- Placed on IR: DT Bilal Nichols, K Matt Prater
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed to active roster: G Matt Hennessy
- Placed on IR: S Micah Abernathy
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived: G Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu
Carolina Panthers
- Signed (off Steelers’ practice squad): OLB Jacoby Windmon
- Waived: OLB Tarron Jackson
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on IR: C Nick Harris
Dallas Cowboys
- Waived with injury settlement: DE Durrell Johnson
Denver Broncos
- Waived: DB Tanner McCalister
Detroit Lions
- Signed (off Bengals’ practice squad): DE Isaiah Thomas
- Placed on IR: DE Aidan Hutchinson (story), DT Kyle Peko (story)
Houston Texans
- Activated from IR: DT Kurt Hinish
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived with injury settlement: WR Jacob Harris
Seattle Seahawks
- Placed on IR: CB Artie Burns
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR Marquez Callaway
- Signed to active roster: CB Keenan Isaac
Tennessee Titans
- Signed to active roster: CB Tre Avery
Nichols is reportedly out for the season, per the Cardinals, but Prater could still return after an additional four-game absence. He’s already missed two games so far with a left knee issue. The 40-year-old was a perfect six-for-six on field goal attempts this year while 10-for-10 on extra points.
The Browns lose an important depth lineman in Harris. Harris started games at left tackle and center as an injury replacement this year, but he’ll be out for at least the next four games with an ankle injury.
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris reported that Abernathy will be out for a “significant time,” per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.