NFL Workout Updates: 10/29/19
Here is an update on workouts around the league:
Baltimore Ravens
- P Jack Fox, WR De’Anthony Thomas
Buffalo Bills
- LB Keishawn Bierria, DL Raymond Davison, LB Del’Shawn Phillips
Indianapolis Colts
- LB Christian Sam, DT Adolphus Washington, CB Kyle Wilson
Jacksonville Jaguars
Seattle Seahawks
Tennessee Titans
- WR Jeff Badet, WR K.J. Brent, WR Rashard Davis, QB Taylor Heinicke, QB Josh Johnson, QB Chase Litton
NFC North Notes: Pineiro, Cousins, Vikings
The Bears‘ kicking woes continued Sunday when Eddy Pineiro missed a 41-yard field goal attempt as time expired in a 17-16 loss to the Chargers. Matt Nagy is not publicly wavering from Pineiro, though, according to Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic. Nagy said, “We love Eddy. We’ve got all the faith in the world in him.” Chicago, of course, has struggled to replace kicker Robbie Gould since the team let him go in 2015. Last postseason, the Bears were eliminated after then-kicker Cody Parkey missed a 43-yard field goal in a 16-15 loss to the Eagles. Nagy did not shy away from making the team’s kicker situation a front-and-center issue throughout the offseason. However, the second-year Chicago coach is sticking with Pineiro going forward.
Here’s more from around the NFC North:
- Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins has not been consistent during his time in Minnesota, despite stringing together some strong weeks to help his team to a 6-2 record. Cousins signed a fully guaranteed, three-year, $84MM contract in March 2018. Now that Cousins is exactly halfway through his contract, Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune examines what to make of Cousins’ tenure in Minnesota and whether the team will look at extending him.
- Five misdemeanor charges surfaced for Vikings safety Jayron Kearse, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets. Among them: operating a vehicle while intoxicated, carrying a pistol while intoxicated and carrying a gun without a permit. Kearse was arrested Sunday. Considering Kearse has been mostly a backup in his Vikings career and is playing on an expiring contract, this may not bode well for his status with the team going forward.
- The Packers were interested in Jets wideout Robby Anderson, but the fourth-year player — like most of Tuesday’s trade candidates — will stay put.
Chargers Waive K Chase McLaughlin
The Chargers waived kicker Chase McLaughlin, according to Sirius XM Radio’s Adam Caplan. Los Angeles signed McLaughlin back in October to fill in for Michael Badgley while he was dealing with a groin injury. Given that no reports have emerged tying the Chargers to another kicker, it seems likely to expect Badgley to return to the field.
Originally, the Chargers had their punter, Ty Long, handle both punting and kicking duties to start the season. Through four games, Long was 7 of 9 on field goals and 9 of 9 on extra points, but after their Week 4 victory against the Dolphins he appeared to come up limping. While Long has continued handling punting duties, McLaughlin stepped in over the past four weeks and maintained similar success.
McLaughlin, a rookie, served as the kicker for Illinois from 2016-2018. After going undrafted, he signed with the Bills as an undrafted free agent. He quickly was released in Buffalo and then caught on with Minnesota’s practice squad before being released once again before catching on in Los Angeles.
In his four games as the Chargers kicker, McLaughlin handled kickoff duties, made 6 of 9 field goal attempts and was 7 of 7 on extra points. McLaughlin did make a field goal from beyond 5o yards but also missed three of his four attempts between 40 and 49 yards.
Badgley, in his second season out of Miami, was one of the most accurate kickers as a rookie in 2018. Last season, over 10 games, he made 15 of 16 field goal attempts with just one miss on 28 PAT tries.
Chiefs Designate QB Chad Henne For Return
Per a team announcement, the Chiefs have designated quarterback Chad Henne for return from injured reserve. The news does not come as much of a surprise. Henne, who suffered a broken ankle in the preseason, was reportedly nearing a return to the field.
Whether Henne will actually see game action may be more likely than previously expected. Henne was slated as the team’s backup quarterback, behind Patrick Mahomes, before the season, but when he suffered a broken ankle, the they shifted to Matt Moore.
The quarterback in Kansas City has a lot of question marks at the moment given the uncertain status of Mahomes, who dislocated his kneecap last week. The team has said that Moore will take the majority of first-team reps while Mahomes tries to work his way back. If Mahomes is unable to go this Sunday, Henne could serve as Moore’s backup.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/23/2019
Today’s practice squad updates:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: WR Devin Gray
Denver Broncos
- Signed: WR Kelvin McKnight
- Released: OL Tyler Jones
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: DT Brian Price
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: WR Jalen Guyton
- Released: OT Tyree St. Louis
New England Patriots
- Signed: OL Aaron Monteiro
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: S Trae Elston, TE Jason Vander Laan
Vikings WR Adam Thielen Ruled Out
As expected, the Vikings have officially ruled wide receiver Adam Thielen out for Thursday Night’s matchup against Washington, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com. Thielen pulled his hamstring in the Vikings win against the Lions on Sunday. 
On the heels of their victory against Detroit, Minnesota stands at 5-2 and in prime of NFC playoff position. Quarterback Kirk Cousins has had an erratic season thus far, but over the past few weeks has been fantastic. He aims to build upon that success next week, but it will have to come without his best best receiver.
Thielen currently leads the league in receiving touchdowns with six and has accrued nearly 400 receiving yards as well. This success is nothing new for Thielen, who has been one of the league’s best wideouts over the past two seasons. While things will obviously be difficult, Stefon Diggs, the team’s number two receiver, would be the number one option on a number of teams around the league.
Furthermore, previous reports suggested the team is hopeful that Thielen will be able to return relatively quickly. It definitely helps their cause that their next opponent, Washington, has been one of the worst teams in the league.
AFC East Notes: Jets, Mosley, Fitzpatrick
C.J. Mosley was one of the biggest free agent signings of the offseason. The Jets poached the inside linebacker from the Ravens for a record-setting contract. His career in New York has struggled to get underway due to injuries. Playing in just his second game of the season on Monday against the Patriots, Mosley re-aggravated his groin injury.
According to Rich Cimini of NFL.com, the organization is concerned about Mosley’s health. Head coach Adam Gase told reporters that “It might be more than the groin.” In fact, Gase’s comments suggested there is a certain level of uncertainty and that doctors are in the middle of a “deep dive” into his health.
Here is some more news from around the AFC East:
- Jets starting quarterback Sam Darnold is limited and limping after a toe nail removal procedure, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. The report notes that the operation does not put Darnold at risk of missing any upcoming games, but the injury will limit him in practice. Darnold returned to action in Week 6 after missing over a month recovering from mononucleosis.
- In a separate tweet, Cimini noted that there was no sign of offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele at Jets practice today. When Gase was asked the organization’s stance on Osemele, he refused to comment. Osemele has been refusing to practice with a shoulder injury that it appears the team believes he can play through. The team has since fined him and this case could very well be headed towards a grievance. Regardless, a recent update from Pro Football Talk has reported that Osemele plans to proceed with shoulder surgery this week.
- The Dolphins hapless season has had few storylines worth following. However, after stepping in for young quarterback Josh Rosen, Ryan Fitzpatrick put up a strong performance against a very good Bills defense. Head coach Brian Flores told reporters that Fitzpatrick earned another start, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Going forward, Fitzpatrick will prepare to play the Steelers next week on Monday Night Football.
Browns Plan To Acquire OT Before Trade Deadline
Browns general manager John Dorsey is targeting a number of offensive tackles to ensure the team acquires an upgrade before the trade deadline, according to Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports. Cleveland’s offensive line woes have been well documented this season, but they are far from the only team seeking upgrades via trade.
Washington tackle Trent Williams remains the obvious best candidate available. Except, while he continues to hold out with no progress toward a new contract, Washington reportedly has no interest in trading him. In the report, Robinson quotes one source who said “Dorsey has been trying to get Williams for basically six weeks.”
While Williams remains Dorsey’s top target, Robinson reports that multiple league sources have said Dorsey has been “reaching out to a swath of teams about acquiring offensive line help before the deadline.” The report goes on to mention that on top of Washington, he has contacted two other NFC East teams: the Giants and Eagles.
Less than a week away from the trade deadline, Dorsey seems primed to wait until the deadline to see if Washington changes course on Williams’ availability. If not, Giants starting offensive tackle Nate Solder or Eagles swing tackle Halapoulivaati Vaitai seem like legitimate fallback options, per Robinson.
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes Returns To Practice
Star quarterback Patrick Mahomes has returned to practice for the Chiefs, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. This comes just six days after Mahomes left Kansas City’s Thursday night game with a dislocated kneecap. 
As one of the most transcendent players in the NFL since becoming the Chiefs starter in 2018, Mahomes’ status has massive implications for the AFC playoff picture. Andy Reid revealed that backup quarterback Matt Moore would take the majority of first-team reps, but was unwilling to rule Mahomes out for Sunday’s matchup against the Packers.
Mahomes currently leads the league in a number of key passing categories and has been an integral part of the Chiefs 5-2 start. Throughout the start of the season, Mahomes had been playing through an ankle injury and some had called for Kansas City to rest him in last Thursday’s matchup against Denver. Instead, Mahomes went down when in a rather unprecedented development, his kneecap was dislocated during a quarterback sneak.
Many around the league were worried that Mahomes would miss an extended period of time. While it is unclear whether he will able to return by this Sunday, it is still a good sign that Kansas City will be able to welcome him back to the field soon.
Cardinals Sign Alfred Morris, Zach Zenner
The Cardinals signed running backs Alfred Morris and Zach Zenner this morning. The signings were first reported by Adam Caplan of ESPN.com and have since been confirmed by the team. In the team’s press release, the organization announced they released cornerback Trevor Williams to accommodate the signings.
Morris, in his ninth NFL season, burst onto the scene as a rookie in 2012 with Washington rushing for over 1,600 yards. He started every Washington game (64) over his time with the organization and accrued 5,078 yards from scrimmage in his four seasons with the team. Morris has not been a primary back elsewhere, but he has been a spot starter for both the Cowboys and 49ers in the past two seasons.
Zenner is another multi-year veteran, but has never had more than a rotational role. After spending the first four seasons of his career with the Lions, Zenner was released in August. He joined the Saints on October 16th and only received one carry before he was released yesterday.
Adding two veteran backs raises concerns that star running back David Johnson will be out for the Cardinals upcoming games. Johnson has been limited by knee problems over the past week and while he was active against the Giants, it was clear the team wanted to limit his workload. Backup Chase Edmonds was exceptional filling in as the primary back and appears Morris and Zenner will be expected to spell Edmonds in the coming weeks while they wait for Johnson to heal.
Williams was claimed on waivers from the Chargers on October 8th. He hasn’t played a large role for Arizona this season, but over the previous three seasons between San Diego and Los Angeles, Williams made 27 starts accruing 100 tackles and three interceptions.